Cheers filled the air on Aug. 27 in Asheville, N.C., as more than 750 Ride for Kids® participants celebrated raising $100,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's (PBTF) research and family support programs.
Riders gathered before sunrise at Biltmore Square Mall for the 13th annual event, eagerly anticipating the morning's ride. The police-escorted trip didn't disappoint, as a five-mile column of motorcycles followed the scenic curves of the Blue Ridge Parkway down to the shores of Lake Lure.
The Celebration of Life program featured 15 local brain tumor survivors, including PBTF scholarship recipient Matthew, 21. "You literally give us life," he told the crowd. "Thank you for everything you do."
Ride for Kids® proceeds help fund critical research at places such as the PBTF Institute at Duke University, headed by Dr. Darell Bigner. He thanked the motorcyclists for enabling researchers to move from a "shotgun" to a "rifle" approach to fighting brain cancer cells in children.
The Asheville ride raised a total of $100,000. Top individual fundraiser honors were shared by Denise Mathers of Hendersonville, N.C., and Leah Sherritt of Boulder, Colo., who brought $7,395. Members of GWRRA NC Chapter M2 of Hendersonville turned in $17,345 to make it the top club, and customers of MR Motorcycle of Asheville made it the top motorcycle business with $11,386 in donations. The grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle, went to Gary and Rhonda Burris of Asheville.
Special thanks went to Asheville task force leader Peter Hartwick, the hardworking task force volunteers and day-of-event volunteers, for hosting a fantastic event.
