Motorcycle people are good people. You know that, and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s Ride for Kids (RFK) was founded on that very principle. Since 1984, RFK has helped make the foundation the leading funder of research, treatment, and support for kids with brain tumors.
Honda has been a supporter of RFK for nearly three decades, helping to raise money and awareness. It is making a big difference, with the medical community now having a much better understanding of this complicated disease and how to treat it. However, we can and must do more.
Traditionally, RFK events engage local clubs, dealerships, individual riders and other riding groups within certain geographic areas. In Los Angeles, RFK supporters gathered on Sunday, Oct. 20 at Honda’s North American headquarters in Torrance, CA, to donate and participate in fundraising activities, hear from the foundation, and best of all, share motorcycling with patients (called STARS) and their families.
More than 300 riders came out to the event, including a contingent of sidecar and Polaris Slingshot owners offering seats for STARS to enjoy a ride. Complete with a police escort, participating riders rode a 30-mile loop, enjoying ocean views and miles of smiles.
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After the ride, riders enjoyed lunch and a presentation highlighting everyone’s fundraising efforts. In the end, $125,646 was raised!
In the past, the ability to tie motorcycle riding to donations has not existed. However, with REVER, riders can track their miles and raise money with various types of sponsors, a motorcycle version of a jog-a-thon. To help test this new fundraising opportunity, as well as offer the best excuse ever to go for a motorcycle ride, REVER and Honda created a 30-day challenge, asking the community to collectively track 250,000 miles in the REVER mileage challenge. If we reached that goal, Honda would kick in an additional $10,000 to RFK on top of their already generous support (included in the total above).
The response was amazing. The motorcycle industry helped spread the word. Cycle News Magazine (sign up for free) provided promotional ads to get the word out. REVER users shared on social and the miles kept piling on. By noon on Oct. 20th, 568 riders tracked 252,686 miles over 3,288 rides spending 6,725 hours in the saddle. The top rider in the Challenge tracked 8,818 miles in 30 days! Job well done to all that helped reach the goal.
Moving forward, REVER and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation will be working together to create opportunities for riders to raise money for kids with brain tumors based on the riding they track in REVER. This will help extend RFK fundraising efforts and make an even bigger impact in finding a cure, as well as supporting the brave families currently battling this disease. Stay tuned for more information soon.
Join the Ride for Kids Community on REVER and check out Ride For Kids for event information and to contribute.
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