Motorcyclists in Georgia and Virginia rode together at Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) Ride for Kids® events yesterday to raise more than $279,000 for childhood brain tumor research. At the 23rd annual Atlanta ride, riders turned in more than $193,000 in donations, while the fourth annual Richmond event raised more than $85,000. Proceeds of both events benefit the PBTF’s research and family support programs. It was a beautiful spring morning at North Point Mall in Alpharetta as 885 participants gathered for the Atlanta event. The police-escorted ride followed winding country roads through many small towns, including Dawsonville, hometown of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott. When the crowd reached the endpoint in Dahlonega, they enjoyed lunch during the moving Celebration of Life program. Twelve local pediatric brain tumor survivors spoke from the stage, including PBTF scholarship recipients Lauren, Julia and Mandy. They were joined by younger children like 13-year-old Jack, who wants to be a brain surgeon, and 7-year-old Mattie, who wants to be a cheerleader. Marla told the crowd that her daughter Malerie, 8, has come a long way since her diagnosis. “One day I hope that the stage is full of survivors,” she said. Other special guests included Jocelyn Dorsey of WSB Channel 2 and nationally syndicated radio host Neal Boortz. “This was my first Ride for Kids, and I’ll be back next year because of children like Malerie,” he said. The total raised at the Atlanta event was $193,652. Top individual fundraiser honors went to Tommy Smith of Canton, Ga., who brought $25,000. Members of the top club, GWRRA-GA Chapter W from Woodstock, Ga.. turned in $35,415. The top two motorcycle businesses were Gary’s Hobbie Shop of McDonough with $21,890 and Cycle World of Athens with $20,220 in donations. The grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle, went to Gordon Foust of Douglasville. Special thanks went to the Atlanta volunteer task force and day-of-event volunteers for putting together a great event. Up in Richmond, Va., spirits were high among the 325 participants as they left Brook Hollow Shopping Center in Glen Allen under sunny skies. The police-escorted ride took them through the rolling countryside and horse farms north of Richmond on its way to Mechanicsville. Tents were set up on a beautifully manicured lawn of the Richmond Times-Dispatch for the Celebration of Life, which featured three local pediatric brain tumor survivors. The stars of the day were Denise, 12, Kevin, 14, and 18-year-old PBTF scholarship recipient Tiffany. Her mom, Peggy, thanked the crowd for their support. “During our first Ride for Kids event, I looked around and saw all these smiling faces and I knew we were in the right place,” she said. “You may not know us personally, but you do know us.” The medical community was represented by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Dr. Ted Chung, a radiation oncologist, and Dr. William Broaddus, a neurosurgeon. Bob Crouch with the governor’s office proclaimed June 4 as Ride for Kids Day in Virginia. The total raised at the Richmond event was $85,380. The top individual fundraisers were Mike and Kristi Seibert of Springfield, Va., who brought $14,795. The top club was the Richmond HRCA chapter with $27,056, while the customers of Cycle Connection of Midlothian, Va., donated $22,694 to make it the top motorcycle business. The grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle, went to Pete Nelson of Bumpass, Va. Heartfelt thanks go to Richmond’s task force leaders, Kerry Abrams and Mike Seibert, visitation co-leaders Dan Solomon and Linda Carr, and their hardworking volunteer task force and day-of-event volunteers, for hosting a superb event. Since 1984, the national Ride for Kids® program and PBTF have promoted childhood brain tumor research and provided family support through free literature about brain tumors, educational newsletters, online conferences and college scholarships. With the help of America’s motorcyclists and motorcycle dealers, PBTF has become the world’s largest nongovernmental source of funding for pediatric brain tumor research. The next PBTF Ride for Kids® events are Sunday, June 11 in Cleveland, Ohio, and San Bernardino, Calif. For more information about the PBTF Ride for Kids®, go to www.rideforkids.org or call (800) 253-6530.