On a "Mission" for the kids

The Mission is a 2008 Honda CBR1000RR customized by Roland Sands Design. Congratulations to winner Rick James!

Texas motorcyclist wins bike drawing; $78,000 raised to fight pediatric brain tumors

Rick James of Carrollton, Texas, has won the annual Ride for Kids®/Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows bike drawing.

His new ride is "The Mission," a 2008 Honda CBR1000RR donated by American Honda and customized by master designer Roland Sands.

"I'm on cloud nine," James said when notified of his win. The 52-year-old motorcyclist has been out of work for several months, and says that winning the drawing "might just turn my luck around."

James purchased two drawing tickets last November at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in Dallas. A friend had invited him to the show to take his mind off of his job situation. "I will definitely be back," James said. "I'll be the one with the big grin on my face!"

The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation randomly drew James' name from more than 18,000 entries in May 2009. The drawing generated over $78,000 to benefit the foundation, which runs the Ride for Kids program. Now in its ninth year, the giveaway has raised more than $502,000 overall.

Special thanks go to American Honda for the motorcycle donation and for the logistics of moving the bike from show to show. We also thank Roland Sands Design, Advanstar Communications, Cycle World magazine, Performance Machine, Airtrix, Dunlop, Hotbodies Racing and Vortex Racing for making The Mission possible.

The next motorcycle drawing is now in the planning stages. Check this site for details in the coming months, and go to www.motorcycleshows.com to find out where you can see the new bike in person at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows.

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