Phoenix, San Diego Ride for Kids® events raise $120,000
October 17, 2011
Riders raised $120,012 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation®
(PBTF) yesterday at Ride for Kids® events in Phoenix and San Diego.
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Keegan (right) and his dad share a hug in Phoenix.
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Phoenix puts kids first
Warm, sunny weather matched the mood at the 15th annual Phoenix
Ride for Kids®, which raised $61,461.
It was a beautiful morning as the 260 participants gathered at Desert Ridge
High School in Mesa. Local brain tumor survivors Gaites, Rosalena, Keegan,
Emily, Sabrina, Megan and Steve led the desert ride past Saguaro Lake before
returning for the Celebration of Life program.
Keegan’s father told the crowd, “It doesn’t matter how much you bring
in, it is all appreciated.” His words were echoed by pediatric oncology nurse Annie
Gieseking of Phoenix Children's Hospital, who said, “Thanks for helping to raise
funds so these kids can have a fighting chance.”
The leading fundraisers in Phoenix were:
- Individual:
Matthew Hogan, $7,915
- Motorcycle
club/chapter: CMA Mission Riders, $8,640
- Motorcycle business:
RideNow Powersports, $19,763
Donated Ride for Kids® drawing prizes went to Tammy Houser (Honda
motorcycle); Rick Gunder (AGV helmet); Matthew Hogan (Dunlop tire); Maryann
Jordan (Tourmaster luggage); and David Hewitt (Cardo Systems headset).
Many thanks went to the dedicated volunteers on the Phoenix Ride for
Kids® task force. This year the group’s leaders were Betsy Coon, Allen and
Janet Ingersoll, and Bunny Rasmussen. Mark your calendar now for next year's
ride on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012.
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Lauren (left), with her mom in San Diego, is a PBTF college scholarship recipient.
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San Diego
celebrates 7th year
Motorcyclists in San Diego rode in their seventh Ride for Kids®
yesterday at MiraCosta College in Cardiff. They brought $58,551 in donations for the
PBTF.
After an oceanfront ride, the 260 participants heard from the “stars” of
the day: Alyssa, Leo, Jordan, David, Steven, Brennan, Lauren, Michelle, and Jonathan.
Many of these brain tumor survivors talked about their lives during the
Celebration of Life program.
PBTF college scholarship recipient Lauren said, “Thank you for being
here. It’s really a blessing to know you care about kids going through
treatments. It is really nice to be supported by so many people.”
The group also heard from Dr. Robert Wechsler-Reya, a brain tumor
researcher at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute.
San Diego’s top fundraisers were:
- Individuals: Miriam
and David Kaufman, $6,603
- Motorcycle
club/chapter: Northrup Grumman Motorcycle Club, $5,647
- Motorcycle
business: BMW Ventura, $5,547
Ride for Kids® also appreciates the continued support of BikeBandit.com,
which brought $18,214 to the event.
The donated Ride for Kids® drawing prizes went to Michael Pearl (Honda
motorcycle); Mark Blackwell (AGV helmet); Eric Brown (Dunlop tire); Christine
Buffaloe (Tourmaster luggage) and Tibor and Grace Toczauer (Cardo Systems
headset).
The San Diego Ride for Kids® was organized by a great group of
volunteers, including task force leaders Robert and Janet Lebkuecher, Gary
Magee, Christian McCart, and Miriam Kaufman. Save the date for next year’s
event on Sunday, Oct. 21.
Ride for Kids®
302 Ridgefield Ct.
Asheville, NC 28806
828-665-6891
800-253-6530
828-665-6894 (fax)
e-mail: info@rideforkids.org
website: rideforkids.org
All materials of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation® and Ride for Kids® contained herein or elsewhere are copyrighted ©.
