Ride for Kids®

benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation®

We ride to cure the kids!

Riders at the Northern Indiana Ride for Kids® didn’t let the heat wave stop them from raising $72,764 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation® (PBTF) yesterday in South Bend.

The warmth of the day matched the smiles on the faces of brain tumor survivors Jon, Hannah, Lindy, Jennifer, Daniel, Karyn, Libbie, and Corey as they led hundreds of police-escorted motorcycles from Pinhook Park through the countryside and back.

The program after the ride featured interviews with these “stars” and their parents. “We’ve been on a road that has had a lot of ups and downs, but for every bad thing we’ve seen, a lot of good things have come our way,” Jon’s mom, Jo, told the 250 participants. “You have become an extension of our family.”

The top fundraisers were:

• Individuals: Georgia & E.J. Ford, $15,818
• Motorcycle club/chapter: ABATE Region 2, $23,029
• Motorcycle business: B&E Honda, $21,117
• Special organization: NW Indiana Parrothead Club, $9,014

The drawing prize winners were Rosa Nelson (Honda motorcycle); Michael Vance (AGV helmet); Georgia Ford (Dunlop tire); Patrick Emole (Tourmaster gift certificate) and Connie Gless (Cardo Scala Rider).

Ride for Kids® events are made possible by the tireless efforts of volunteers. The Northern Indiana team was led this year by Georgia and E.J. Ford and Bobby Newman. Task force leaders from Indianapolis, Michigan, Knoxville, Wisconsin, and Albuquerque also joined the ride.