MEDINA, MN: Nearly 300 motorcyclists enjoyed a windy, sunny and memorable ride across America on the 10th annual Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride and their generosity, combined with support from sponsors including Victory Motorcycles and individual contributors, will soon make dreams come true for children with chronic illnesses.
The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride (KPCR), of which Victory is a major sponsor ran May 1-8 and covered 3,188 miles between Palm Desert, California, and the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina. The camp was founded by NASCAR racer Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie in honor of their late son Adam and is scheduled to open June 20.
Watch for the full report next week.
After the riders arrived at the camp and enjoyed tours of the facilities on May 8, they took part in an historic auction that raised more than $200,000 for the camp. When the auctioneer shouted “Sold!” for the final time that night, one bidder became the proud owner of the most expensive Victory motorcycle ever purchased. The 2004 Arlen Ness Signature Series model with special KPCR graphics raised $80,000 at the auction. The buyer bid $40,000 and a fellow ride participant matched the selling price with a contribution of $40,000 for the camp.
Kyle Petty rode the auction bike on several legs of the 2004 charity ride, alternating between the special Ness bike and his 2004 Touring Cruiser. The bike was donated by Victory and Bruce Rossmeyer (owner of the Arlen Ness Victory dealership in Daytona Beach, Florida) and it included special accessories contributed by Victory styling partners Arlen and Cory Ness.
Victory has been a major sponsor of the KPCR for five years and Victory is the rideÃs official motorcycle. That reflects VictoryÃs support for the Victory Junction Gang Camp as well as the Pettysà love of Victory motorcycles. Kyle owns at least one Victory from each model year and he loves to fabricate parts and accessories in his race shop to personalize his bikes. KyleÃs father, NASCAR legend Richard Petty, rode on the 2004 KPCR on his Touring Cruiser with a stunning paint scheme of Petty Blue and white.
In its first 10 years, the ride has logged over 27,000 miles and has involved more than 3,250 riders. This yearÃs ride included overnight stops in Las Vegas; Flagstaff, AZ; Roswell, NM; Oklahoma City, Branson, MO; Tupelo, MS; Atlanta and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. At every gas stop and overnight stop along the way, fans and charity ride supporters swarmed around Kyle and Richard Petty and fellow racers Harry Gant, Steve Park and Jeff Green to seek autographs and photos.
Camp Becomes a Reality
Kyle Petty started the ride in 1994 as a recreational trip from North Carolina to a NASCAR race in Arizona. The ride was so much fun and attracted enough riders that Kyle turned it into an annual fundraiser that has raised more than $4 million in the past decade. In the early years the money was donated to childrenÃs hospitals and clinics across the country. In the past four years, funds have been dedicated to the construction of Victory Junction Gang Camp. Kyle and Pattie began the camp project after their 19-year-old son Adam, a promising NASCAR racer, died in a 2000 practice crash.The Victory Junction camp is similar to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and Boggy Creek Camp created by a foundation started by actor Paul Newman. The Victory Junction camp will allow youngsters ages seven to 15 with chronic illnesses to enjoy all the activities of a traditional summer camp.
The camp is a visual treat, with creative architecture and a vibrant mix of colors and designs. Facilities include a gym, arcade, arts & crafts center, beauty shop, water park, theater, Adam's Race Shop (an activities building shaped like Adam Petty's race car), cavernous dining hall, horse barn, fishing and kayaking pond, cabins for campers and a full-service medical center called the “Goody's Body Shop”.
For more information about the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, or to make a donation, visit www.kylepettycharityride.com, call 888-45-PETTY or e-mail: info@kylepettycharityride.com.
