Motorcyclists love nothing more than getting together to ride for a cause, and what better cause than riding in support of young brain tumor survivors? That’s what hundreds of motorcyclists in New England and Utah did on Sunday, Aug. 21, at Ride for Kids® events in North Oxford, Mass., and Salt Lake City. Together, the participants raised more than $80,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s medical research and family support programs. New England, celebrating its eighth annual event, attracted more than 275 motorcyclists, fundraisers, volunteers, and patient families. Thunder and lightning provided a dramatic start to the event at the Wal-Mart in N. Oxford, but as the police-escorted ride went through the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, the skies cleared. Once they disembarked at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, the riders were treated to a moving Celebration of Life program that featured a very special Ride for Kids® “star,” 5-year-old brain tumor survivor Ryen. Last year Ryen attended the ride in his wheelchair, but this year he arrived in his motorized motorcycle. His dad, Ralph, held his son and told the crowd that in the past year, Ryen’s tumors have stabilized and improved. As tears ran down Ralph’s face, Ryen wiped them away with his shirt. Dr. Nicole Ullrich, a pediatric neuro-oncologist with the Brain Tumor Program at Children’s Hospital Boston, joined Ryen and his dad on stage. “Because of all of you here and all others around the country, we have been able to develop new brain tumor protocols and therapies to help children everywhere stricken with brain tumors,” she told the crowd. “We’re also developing programs to help children to be able to continue their education.” The total raised at the New England event was $61,219. Top individual fundraiser honors went to Dave Odess and Perry Robertson, who raised $6,040. The top club, GWRRA RI Chapter B, raised $20,011, while the customers of Venco Wings of Loudon, N.H., made it the top motorcycle business with $9,060 in donations. Dave Odess was the winner of a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Heartfelt appreciation went to New England’s task force leaders, Wayne and Shirley Anderson and Dave Odess””and their hardworking volunteers for putting together such a wonderful ride. Over in Salt Lake City, 280 participants gathered at Skyline High School under glorious blue skies for the area’s first Ride for Kids® event. In the shadow of the spectacular Wasatch Mountains, the 50-mile police-escorted ride featured breathtaking views of East Canyon Reservoir. The ride ended at Morgan City Park in Morgan, and was capped off by a touching Celebration of Life program. Four young brain tumor survivors were in attendance, including 19-year-old Lindsey, a PBTF scholarship recipient who is studying broadcast journalism at Brigham Young University. “Lindsey is a walking miracle, thanks to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation,” said her father, Todd. The medical community was represented by Leah Malone, a pediatric oncology social worker with Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake City event raised a total of $19,500. Top individual fundraiser honors went to Walter and Donna Young of Elko, Nev., who raised $5,013. The top club was Riders of the Spirit (CMA) of Salt Lake City, whose members brought $7,224. The customers of Kruzers of Elko, Nev., raised $7,264 to make it the top motorcycle business. Spero Politus of Salt Lake City won the grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle. Special thanks went to task force leaders Ron and Sheila Mazurek and Chuck Packard, along with their dedicated volunteers, for organizing the 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, 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, Aug. 28 in Asheville, N.C., and Ann Arbor, Mich. 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.