At the fifth annual Birmingham Ride for Kids® on Sept. 17, a sunny day greeted nearly 400 fundraisers at the Pelham Civic Complex. The event raised $69,444 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's (PBTF) medical research and family support programs.
A police escort took the riders through rural Alabama to the Barber Motorsports Complex, a thrilling venue for any motorcycling enthusiast. There the stirring Celebration of Life program featured eight local brain tumor survivors, from 3-year-old Avery to Ryan, 13. Another special guest was state Sen. Hank Erwin, who said the governor had proclaimed the date Ride for Kids Day in Alabama.
The group also heard from Dr. Yancey Gillespie, a brain tumor researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and his colleague Dr. Alyssa Reddy, a pediatric oncologist. "We're entering a new era where there is now a wave of new options for the treatment of brain tumors, where before there were very few," Reddy said.
The total raised in Birmingham was $69,444. The top individual fundraisers were Joyce and Bill Smith of Alabaster, Ala., who brought $11,200. The top club was GWRRA AL Chapter B (Rocket City Wings) of Huntsville, whose members raised $12,648, and the customers of Big #1 Motorsports in Homewood, Ala., turned in $11,080 to make it the top motorcycle business. Chris Miller of Madison, Ala., won the Honda motorcycle drawing.
Heartfelt thanks to Birmingham task force leaders Joyce and Bill Smith and Anita and Roy Fosnight, visitation leader Stacy Ashby, the dedicated volunteer task force and event volunteers, for organizing a fantastic ride.
