Tulsa’s second Ride for Kids® honored 10 young brain tumor survivors and raised $13,065 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation® (PBTF) on May 22.
The wet and windy weather didn’t stop the 160 participants from enjoying a beautiful ride along the Arkansas River. Several of the children rode with them through the countryside.
After the ride, everyone gathered for the Celebration of Life program at the Tulsa Health Department. Ride for Kids® stars April, Samantha, Xitlalie, Shawn, Ashleigh, Charlie, Madison, Trenton, Noah and Johnathon shared their inspiring stories and reminded the fundraisers about the reason for the ride.
“I hope the continuing research will find a way to treat brain tumors with an alternative to chemo and radiation, because it kills good cells, which causes other complications,” Charlie’s mother, Tammy, told the riders. “I cannot say thank you enough.”
Dr. Wendy Bourland of St. Francis Hospital said that the PBTF’s funding of childhood brain tumor research is essential. “The government has drastically cut funding, which makes what you all do that much more important.”
The leading fundraisers in Tulsa were:
- Individual: Katy Kraus, $2,050
- Club/chapter: GWRRA OK-E, $2,765
- Motorcycle business: Honda of Tulsa, $2,730
Drawing prizes from Ride for Kids® sponsors went to Ralph Simoni (Honda motorcycle); Ted Bates (Dunlop tire); Katy Kraus (AGV helmet); and Diane Ramsey (Tourmaster gift certificate).
Special guests at the ride included, professional stock car racer Russ Dugger, Wavy Davy from 103 FM, and Ride for Kids® task force members from Baltimore, Kansas City and Albuquerque. Many thanks to the local task force volunteers, led this year by Katy Kraus and Stephen Ellis.
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.
