Motorcyclists at the 16th Annual Puget Sound Ride for Kids® raised $121,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
A crowd of 325 riders and supporters gathered at Remlinger Farms in Carnation on a foggy morning that cleared to sunshine later in the day. The police-escorted loop ride followed rolling, twisting roads through the diverse northern woodlands of the Cascade Mountains. A new route this year included a turn-around so the riders could see the rest of the group riding towards them.
The moving Celebration of Life program back at the farm honored 11 young brain tumor patients, along with two adult survivors and the families of two children who lost their battle. The fundraisers drew inspiration from the stories of kids like Keaton, 3, and Reece, 16.
Nick's mom, Christina, spoke about her son's leukemia, caused by the chemotherapy he received for his brain tumor. "Kids shouldn’t have to do this once, let alone twice," she said.
Dr. Robert Irwin, a pediatric oncologist at Mary Bridge Children’s Health Center who treats several of these patients, said, "We want to get these kids back to health. With folks like you we have a bright future."
KMPS Radio personality Ichabod Caine attended the event with his motorcycle club, the Headless Horsemen. The Washington Cossacks performed a precision riding demonstration on 1930s Harley-Davidson bikes.
The top individual fundraisers were Mick and Mary Rairdin from Everett, Wash., who brought $16,005. Members of GWTA-C of Evergreen, Wash., gave $27,408 to make it the top club/chapter, and Everett Powersports customers had $42,394 in donations to make it the top motorcycle business. Walter Ziebell of Everett won the grand prize, a new Honda motorcycle.
Many thanks to the event's dedicated volunteers, led this year by Ken Watson, Marie Chavez, Mike Tennyson, and Mick and Mary Rairdin.
Plan a fundraiser:Each state requires PBTF to approve your fundraiser, so contact us early in your planning process. The first step is to complete our fundraising application.
