CALIFORNIA, OREGON MOTORCYCLISTS SUPPORT PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR RESEARCH AT RIDE FOR KIDS® EVENTS The generosity of West Coast motorcyclists was unmistakable at Ride for Kids® events in Sacramento, Calif., and Portland, Ore., on Sunday, Oct. 2. Their fundraising efforts on behalf of kids fighting brain tumors gave the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation $186,864 for its medical research and family support programs. A cool, breezy morning greeted more than 550 motorcyclists, fundraisers, patient families and volunteers at the 13th annual Sacramento event. From Yolo County Fairgrounds in Woodland, the police-escorted ride traveled the scenic roads of northern California’s “Gold Country.” The motorcyclists then returned to the fairgrounds for the very special Celebration of Life program, featuring young brain tumor survivors and their families. Nineteen Ride for Kids® “stars” were on hand for the event, ranging from 5-year-old Dominic to 20-year-old Vanessa. They were joined by Adena, 28, a long-term survivor, who told the crowd, “This is not a hopeless fight. I am proof and I am doing great. I’ve been in remission for 13 years!” Jeff, father of 13-year-old Juston, thanked the participants for their fundraising efforts. “You help to finance this miracle of medical research and also spread the word about the disease and bring hope,” he said. He was joined on stage by two children’s doctors from Sutter Neuroscience Medical Group, neurosurgeon Cino Ciricello and neuro-oncologist Nora Wu. The Sacramento event raised a total of $170,818. The top individual fundraisers were Ann and Kirk Harry of El Dorado Hills, Calif., who brought $22,000 in memory of their son Sam. The top club was GWTA Chapter O of Bela Vista, Calif., whose members raised $37,962, while the customers of Jim & Jim’s Yamaha of Santa Rosa, Calif., made it the top motorcycle business with $28,811 in donations. Pete and Heidi Modeste of Roseville, Calif., won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Special thanks went to Sacramento’s task force leaders””Lillian and Jack Cushman and Kathy and Jon Carlson, along with their dedicated volunteers, for hosting a great event. North of the California state line, more than 160 people came out to Hillsboro Sports Complex in Hillsboro, Ore., for the first annual Portland Ride for Kids®. Despite hard rain and unseasonably cold and windy weather, the police-escorted riders enjoyed touring the countryside west of Portland. They circled beautiful Haag Lake before making their way back to the sports complex for the Celebration of Life program. Four young brain tumor survivors took part in the festivities: Kai, 3; Sara and Nick, 8; and Milani, 20. “This is my idea of a perfect day,” said Sara’s dad, Jeff. “I know it’s freezing cold and windy, and you’re all wet, but seeing all of you here, what you do for families like ours makes such a difference.” Dr. Stacy Nicholson, a pediatric neuro-oncologist at Portland’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, represented the medical community. The total raised in Portland was $16,046. Top individual fundraiser honors went to Jerry and Sharon Lenz of Tigard, Ore., who raised $3,000. The top club was Tigard Touring (HRCA) of Tigard, whose members brought $3,300. The customers of Beaverton Honda of Beaverton, Ore., raised $5,445 to make it the top motorcycle business. Ronda Salholm of Portland won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Many thanks went to task force leaders Irene and Jeff Springston, Barbara and Ron Carver, and Char Messinger, along with their hardworking volunteers, for putting together a fine first-year event. Proceeds of the events fund the medical research and family support programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Since 1984, the national Ride for Kids® program and PBTF have supported childhood brain tumor research and family support programs. Programs include free literature about brain tumors, two national newsletters, the Informed Parent & Survivor Internet Conference series and college scholarships. Thanks to the thousands of caring and generous motorcyclists and motorcycle dealers who have supported the program since its inception, PBTF has become the world’s largest non-governmental source of funding for pediatric brain tumor research. The next Ride for Kids® events are on Sunday, Oct. 9 in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nev. For more information about the Ride for Kids® and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, please visit rideforkids.org or pbtfus.org, or call (800) 253-6530.