As you may know from previous posts on Motorcycle Information on this subject, I am a fan of the annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride. I am also a fan of the Petty’s and think it is really great what they do with Victory Junction and how they work to keep it growing. The 2009 Kyle Petty Charity Ride will be begin on the west coast in Stevenson, Washington on May 8th and will end at Victory Junction in Randleman, North Carolina on May 17th. This is the 15th year of the charity ride.
The riders in this years event will stay overnight in Richland, WA; Sun Valley, ID; Park City, UT; Steamboat Springs, CO; Hays, KS; Kansas City, MO; Batesville, AK; and Nashville, TN and Greensboro, NC. Stay tuned to the ride schedule and go support them when they stop in an area near you! You may even get a chance to meet Kyle himself, as I did last year.
In fact, it was at this event when I really decided that I was going to join in and get myself a decent motorcycle so that I too could join in on the fun and brotherhood of going on local charity rides and the great satisfaction that comes from helping worthy causes as a rider. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to do the Kyle Petty ride, but I plan to do several local charity rides through the year, starting with one in Rock Hill, SC on March 28th for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation with Brother’s Air and Heat 2nd Annual Ride for a Cure.
A real cool way to help the Kyle Petty Charity Ride and Victory Junction is through local Dream Teams. A Dream Team is a local effort that anyone can put together to raise contributions for the charity. Whenever the Kyle Petty Charity Ride makes it’s stops along the cross-country route, Dream Teams from that surrounding area will be able to present their contribution and will be recognized for their efforts. This year will have a big stop in Kansas at the ground breaking ceremony for a 2nd Victory Junction camp.
Victory Junction is a camp for kids from age 6 to 16 that have serious illness or chronic medical conditions that would otherwise prevent them from ever being able to attend a camp. It gives them time to enjoy life and to escape a little bit from their limited ability to get out and have some fun.
In 2008 when the ride stopped in Charlotte for their stay at the Ballantyne Resort Hotel, I was really impressed by the local fun raising efforts of Dream Teams in the Charlotte area and how Kyle and all were so proud of their work. It was obvious to me that the focus was not on the amount raised by each Dream Team, but that they actually got out there and did something to help. It was great how each Dream Team was given an opportunity to get up their with Kyle and all the key players to tell their story and were sincerely congratulated and applauded for all their efforts, regardless of the actual amount they raised or the size of their Dream Team. It sure would be a fun way to participate and you won’t even need to ride a motorcycle to do it.
If you would like to donate, but don’t have the time to work on a Dream Team, you can still donate to the Kyle Petty Charity Ride directly online, by telephone, or by regular mail. Just visit the Kyle Petty Charity Ride site for donation instructions.
