The 16th annual Marysville Ride for Kids® attracted 450 motorcyclists and supporters to Ohio's Honda of America Manufacturing plant on July 28. The event, part of Honda HomeComing, raised more than $81,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's medical research and family support programs.
The phalanx of motorcycles and their police escort traveled through scenic Union County across many of the area's famous covered bridges before returning to the Honda plant for the uplifting Celebration of Life program.
Five local brain tumor patients were on hand to share their inspiring stories with the crowd. Nine-year-old Jared was too sick to come on stage last year, but has made tremendous progress since then. He got a huge round of applause after describing the triple play he made in baseball this summer.
The crowd also heard from Dr. Tom Gross, chief of hematology and oncology at Columbus Children's Hospital. "My dream is that through the work you do that we can continue to fund research to find a way to kill this terrible disease," he said.
The total raised in Marysville was $81,233. The top individual fundraiser was Tony Ferrito with $8,100. GWRRA OH Chapter D-3 took top club honors with $13,850 in contributions, and the top dealer was Marysville Honda Motorsports with $16,626. David Campbell of Harrod, Ohio, won the grand-prize Honda motorcycle.
Many thanks went to the Marysville Ride for Kids® task force, led by Altrece Hogans, LouAnn Snyder and Ken Denman. Together with their hardworking event volunteers, they hosted a wonderful day for kids with brain tumors.
