Riders raised $120,012 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation® (PBTF) yesterday at Ride for Kids® events in Phoenix and San Diego. 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. 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. About the PBTF Ride for Kids® Ride for Kids® supports the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation® (PBTF) by funding medical research and family support programs. We thank our presenting sponsor, Honda Riders Club of America, and our national insurance sponsor, GEICO. Our next Ride for Kids® event is on Sunday, Oct. 23, in Lafayette, La. Learn more at www.rideforkids.org or call 800-253-6530.