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Generous motorcyclists at the 15 th annual Los Angeles Ride for Kids® raised an amazing $232,000 on Sunday, May 7, 2006. The total broke all previous records for the event, which benefits the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. It was overcast and cool as more than 800 participants met at the headquarters of the American Honda Motor Co. The police-escorted ride followed a beautiful route along the Rancho Palos Verdes seaside bluffs, complete with views of the Pacific Ocean. At the endpoint, the crowd enjoyed lunch during the Celebration of Life program, where they heard directly from 15 local pediatric brain tumor survivors. Among them were several PBTF scholarship recipients, including Amanda, 19, and Michelle, 22. |
They were joined by another college student, 18-year-old Scott, who said that he’s studying psychology so he “can help kids like me get through what I’ve gone through.” The medical community was represented by Dr. Jonathan Finlay of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, who treats many of the children in attendance.
The total raised at the Los Angeles event was $232,266. Top individual fundraiser honors went to Robert & Michael Morales of Highland, Calif., who brought $26,721. They were closely followed by brain tumor survivor Alexa, 8, of Simi Valley, who gathered $25,165 in donations. The top club, Honda Employees Rider’s Club, turned in $32,847, while the customers of Honda of Redlands made it the top motorcycle business with $26,721 in donations. The grand prize, a brand-new Honda motorcycle, went to Denise Anthony of Simi Valley.Summer
Special thanks go to the Los Angeles task force leaders, Lori and Mike Whitaker, Jeniffer McMullen and Steven Squire, and visitation leader Louis Vanderveen, along with their dedicated volunteer task force and day-of-event volunteers, for putting together a fantastic event.
