Sunday, July 8 was a blockbuster day in South Bend, as 400 motorcyclists and supporters came together to raise more than $56,000 at the fifth annual Indiana Ride for Kids®. This total broke all previous fundraising records for the event, which benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
Sunny skies and a light breeze made it a perfect day for a ride. Motorcyclists and their police escort took a leisurely tour of rural Indiana's lush farmland before returning to Pinhook Park for the Celebration of Life program.
The stars of the day were eight local brain tumor patients, including 3-year-old Carrie and 9-year-old Lucas. Both the children and the crowd were inspired by the story of Lyn Stevens, a nurse practitioner at St. Anthony Memorial Hospital in Michigan City, Ind. "As a [childhood] brain tumor survivor," she said, "I understand the importance of your donations to everyone who is affected by this terrible disease."
The event raised a total of $56,434. The top individual fundraisers were Gregg Koliboski and Samantha Paull, who brought $6,922. The top chapter/club was ABATE IN Region 2 with $14,783, and the number one motorcycle business was Calumet Harley-Davidson/Buell with $10,848 in customer donations. Pat DeKock of DeMotte, Ind., won the grand-prize Honda motorcycle.
Special thanks went to the Indiana event's volunteer task force, led by Jennifer and Tony Certa, Sandy and Fred Johnson, and visitation leaders Claudette and Bobby Newman. Together with their hardworking event volunteers, they organized a terrific and rewarding day for the kids.
