The first Middle Tennessee Ride for Kids raised $40,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation this last weekend.
The weather was unseasonably cool and windy, but that didn't stop more than 255 motorcyclists and supporters from gathering at Jim Warren Park in Franklin for the event.
The police-escorted ride went past stately mansions and old tobacco barns, and included a 20-mile stretch on the beautiful, winding Natchez Trace.
Back at the park, the Celebration of Life program recognized the volunteers and fundraisers and honored a very special brain tumor survivor. Hannah, 8, recited a poem she wrote about her cancer.
"Without the support of the Ride for Kids and the work of the PBTF, Hannah wouldn't be here," her grateful mom, Tracey, told the crowd.
Dr. John F. Kuttesch, director of the pediatric brain tumor program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, praised the motorcyclists for raising funds for research.
The event's announced total was $40,000. The top fundraisers were:
- Top Individuals: Dave and Nancy Miller, $10,225
- Top Club/Chapter: GWRRA TN-A, $14,850
- Top Motorcycle Business: Sloan's Motorcycle, $27,291
First-place fundraiser Dave Miller also won the drawings for a new Honda motorcycle and a Dunlop tire.
Miller was instrumental in bringing the event to Middle Tennessee. He attended his first Ride for Kids in Atlanta 10 years ago, then volunteered for several years as leader of the Knoxville event's task force. He and his wife, Nancy, led the new ride's task force with assistance from Otis and Tina Bishop and Jerry and Sharon Hamilton.
About the PBTF Ride for Kids®
The national Ride for Kids program and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) promote childhood brain tumor research and provide family support through free literature about brain tumors, educational newsletters, online conferences and college scholarships. America's motorcycling community has helped the PBTF become the world's largest non-governmental source of funding for childhood brain tumor research.
This year there are 39 Ride for Kids events around the U.S., including Albuquerque, N.M., on May 31. For more information, go to www.rideforkids.org/ or call 800-253-6530.
