July 13, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary O. Ratcliffe
800-253-6530 or
mratcliffe@rideforkids.org
Motorcyclists top
$91,000 at South Bend Ride for Kids®
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Brain tumor survivor Isabella and Notre Dame
head football coach Charlie Weis wowed the crowd
at the South Bend ride. |
The seventh annual Ride for Kids® in
South Bend, Ind., honored 11 brain tumor survivors and
raised $91,682 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
yesterday.
Blue skies and sunshine greeted the crowd of 450
gathered at Pinhook Park. The riders and their police
escort toured the countryside around South Bend,
cruising past rolling meadows and farmland for an hour
and a half before returning for the Celebration of Life.
The program brought the motorcyclists face to face
with many of the children they ride to help, including
5-year-old Carrie and 11-year-old Lucas. PBTF college
scholarship recipient Juliana said, “People think I’m
different, and I am, thanks to the battle I intend to
win.”
Dr. Tim Griffin, medical director of oncology at
Memorial Hospital in South Bend, told the motorcyclists
how researchers use the funds raised to search for a
cure.
Another VIP guest was Charlie Weis, head football
coach at the University of Notre Dame, who donated
$1,000 to the cause. “You guys are the nuts and bolts
that run the PBTF,” he told the riders. “I have a
special needs child of my own at home, so I know what
many of the families go through.”
The top fundraisers were:
- Individuals: Gregory Koliboski
& Samantha Paull, $19,297
- Club/Chapter: ABATE Region #2,
$27,835
- Motorcycle Business: Calumet
Harley-Davidson/Buell, $20,997
Bobby Newman of LaPorte, Ind., won the drawing for a
new Honda motorcycle.
Many thanks went to the local volunteer task force,
led by Bobby and Claudette Newman, E.J. and Georgia
Ford, and Fred and Sandy Johnson.
About the PBTF Ride for Kids®
The national Ride for Kids® program and the Pediatric
Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) promote childhood brain
tumor research and provide family support through free
literature about brain tumors, educational newsletters,
online conferences and college scholarships. The next
Ride for Kids® events are on July 19 in Chicago,
Minnesota and Utica, N.Y. For more information, go to
http://www.rideforkids.org/ or call 800-253-6530.
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