Ride For Kids 2007

Steven and another brain tumor survivor, David with Bandit the Biker Dog

On October 21 we attended the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation's Annual Ride For Kids.

Sean and Buddy

It was a stunningly beautiful day, clear and warm. In previous years, we've had rain. We decided to bring Buddy

Buddy and Bandit sizing each other up

Local businesses provided breakfast and coffee and we socialized before the ride. Buddy got to meet Bandit The Biker Dog.

Buddy and Bandit

They hit it off, and Bandit got to take off his motorcycle jacket and sunglasses for a while and roll in the grass with Buddy.

Jordan and her brother Ben

Our friend Jordan was there with her family.

Emma, Jordan's sister

We went on an hour-long ride, through Elfin Forest and Lake Hodges. The weather couldn't have been nicer.

I rode on the back of this bike, piloted by a retired CHP officer

The retired CHP officer I rode with was worried about fire with the extremely dry and warm weather we were having. He commented on it frequently during our ride.

Sean rode in a sidecar

Doug stayed with Buddy while the kids and I rode.

Sean and his rider

Steven's ride

Steven rode on the back of a motorcycle this time. Last year his rider's bike broke down and they waited by the side of the road for someone to pick them up, this year things went more smoothly.

Steven draws a winning ticket

After the ride there was a lunch and a drawing for all the riders who raised money.

The volunteer California Highway Patrol escort poses with the kids

They raised over $61,000 for pediatric brain tumor research.

$61,530.48 was raised for research into pediatric brain tumors

Conspicuously absent from this year's event was our friend Regina and her brother Gabriel, who attended the event last year.

They had just gotten the papers to sign up for the event when she was found to have relapsed with over 30 new tumors in her head.

Regina is hanging in there, for which we are tremendously thankful. Our prayer is that she'll be there in October 2008.

Go, Regina!

---

I started this post 3 months ago, but the fire and all the resultant upheaval really threw us for a loop.

The retired CHP officer I rode with commented frequently during our ride that he was worried about fire. The weather was more beautiful on the ride than we could ever have asked for, but his worries unfortunately turned out to be justified.

View Larger Map

Above is a map of the route we took in purple, overlaid with the burn and evacuation areas from the fires. It remained a beautiful and clear day, but as we were driving home from the ride, there were clouds of smoke blowing across the freeway from the East and the kids' Little League game was cancelled.

We stayed up late watching the fires on TV and in the wee hours of the morning, our friend's house burned down and now he's living with us.

Most of the area where we rode is blackened now, but all that burned organic material also acts as fertilizer and with our recent rains, green is sprouting up again among the ashes.

- Kathleen

A Very Belated Ride For Kids

Steven with Regina and Jordan in the back

Every year, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation hosts the Ride for Kids, a nationwide fundraiser whose purpose is to raise funds for pediatric brain tumor research.

Steven and Regina

Motorcycle riders raise money, then they come to one of the rides, where they take brain tumor kids and their families on the backs of the bikes or in sidecars. This ride took place last October.

Steven and Jordan

The money they raise also goes to college scholarships for brain tumor patients, and every year there are several college scholarship recipients at the event.

Jordan loves Steven

This year we invited Diana to bring Regina and her little brother Gabriel to come down for the ride.

Bandit, the motorcycle-riding dog

One of the riders had a remote control motorcycle that would drive around with his dog sittin on the seat.

Sean in the sidecar

Adults and the bigger kids usually ride on the back of someone's bike, the little kids ride in sidecars.

Jordan's little brother Ben

At the end of the hour-long ride, we got back and no Steven. We made inquiries, many calls were made, and we determined that the bike with Steven had mechanical problems early in the ride.

Doug drove out and got him, he'd been waiting for an hour accompanied by his rider and everything was fine.

Regina being interviewed

After the ride they served lunch and announced how much money each rider raised. Next the kids went on stage. Regina was shy, but it was her first time.

Diana holding Regina, Jordan being interviewed and Steven waiting his turn

At last year's Ride for Kids, Jordan wouldn't say a word, but this year she was the star of the show.

Steven being interviewed

Steven is usually very shy also in front of a microphone, but he did well this year.

Presenting the check (I like the way Regina is barely touching the check)

They raised over $60,000. We had fun, and it's for a good cause.

- Kathleen

The Ride For Kids

Steven and Jordan

Today was the first Ride For Kids event held in San Diego. The Ride for Kids is a fundraising event for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, where cyclists raise money and then participate in rides in different locations around the country. Kids with brain tumors and their families are invited to come and go along for the ride.

Jordan in her sidecar with her mom Angela and Jordan's cyclist

Several families from San Diego participated. Our friend Jordan was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a more common form of the same type of tumor that Steven has, at age two. After whole-brain and spinal radiation and three stem cell transplants, she turned six a month ago and is doing well.

Steven with his cyclist Sean (Scooter Man)

Each of us were given helmets and assigned to a cyclist.

Sean with his cyclist Keith

Sean got to ride in a sidecar.

Sean situated in the sidecar

Keith told us after the ride that Sean was so comfortable for part of the time that he took a nap.

Doug rode with Patrick

Patrick had an Oakland Raiders flag on the back of his bike, and he told Doug that he only gave rides to Raiders fans. Living in San Diego, we're most definitely Chargers fans, and the Chargers and the Raiders are mortal enemies, but we didn't tell him that.

I rode with Tom on a BMW

I rode with Tom. We headed out into the Rancho Santa Fe backcountry, then to Lake Hodges for about a 90-minute ride.

Our family and Jordan with Steven's cyclist

It rained a bit, but not too hard and we'd come prepared.

Steven on stage

Afterward, there was lunch and Steven and the other kids who participated were interviewed.

Jordan wanted no part of speaking onstage

And best of all, they raised $40,000 for pediatric brain tumor research! Thank God for all the people who care.

- Kathleen