PHILADELPHIA RIDE FOR KIDS® BREAKS ALL-TIME NEW EVENT RECORD; ST. LOUIS SHINES IN THE RAIN It was a red-letter day in Philadelphia and St. Louis on Sunday, Sept. 18, as a host of motorcyclists joined Ride for Kids® events to show their support for children with brain tumors. The Philly ride raised $67,445″”a record for a first-time Ride for Kids® event””while St. Louis brought in $66,102 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s medical research and family support programs. The Philadelphia morning dawned with a full moon competing for attention with the spectacular sunrise. An eagle landed on a nearby building during registration and, spreading its wings, watched as the motorcycles rolled into the parking lot. The police-escorted ride wound through Valley Forge National Historic Park, then traveled on twisting roads over covered bridges to reach Longwood Gardens, once a private estate of the DuPont family. There more than 630 motorcyclists, fundraisers, volunteers, and patient families took part in a moving Celebration of Life program with six young brain tumor survivors””the Ride for Kids® “stars” of the day. Tyler, Angelina, Emily, John, Kyle and Jessica were joined on stage by Dr. Jackie Biegel, professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Michelle Smith, host of Speed TV’s “American Thunder,” was also on hand to lend support. The top individual fundraisers were Allan Waer and Joan Tuttle of Sayre, Penn., who brought $11,700. The top club, GWRRA VA Chapter O, raised $5,067, while the customers of Bob’s Honda of Sayre made it the top motorcycle business with $11,700 in donations. Charles Rutter of Birchrunville, Penn., won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Heartfelt appreciation went to Philadelphia’s task force leaders, Joel Samick, Mitzi and Lee Krauss, and Rex Alfes, along with their hardworking volunteers, for organizing such a wonderful first-year ride. Meanwhile, 275 people gathered at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., for the fifth annual St. Louis Ride for Kids®, despite early-morning rainstorms. The police-escorted ride followed the backroads of Missouri past farms and lush prairies, then made its way to Meramec State Park in Sullivan. With the flowing Meramec River in the background, the participants settled in for the Celebration of Life program. Five young brain tumor survivors were on hand: Joshua, Ashleigh, Brian, Zachary and Ashley, a PBTF scholarship recipient. “Every year I wonder why you do it, and I am so grateful that you do,” Rhonda, Joshua’s mom, told the crowd. In turn, Brian’s mom, Erin, said, “As much as Brian has touched your hearts, you have touched ours.” Top individual fundraiser honors went to Dave Mungenast of Sunset Hills, Mo., who raised $6,000. The top club was Road Riders for Jesus, whose members brought $8,096. The customers of Niehaus Motorcycles of Litchfield, Ill., raised $12,081 to make it the top motorcycle business. Carl Crackel of Hillsboro, Mo., won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Special thanks went to task force leaders Mary and Greg Hoette, Angie and Norm Riekena, and Roger Snyder, along with their dedicated volunteers, for putting together a super 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, the Helping Hand and Caring Hand national newsletters, the Informed Parent Internet Conference series and college scholarships for young brain tumor survivors. 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, Sept. 25 in Birmingham, Ala., and Columbia, Md. 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.