Ride for Kids - Western Pennsylvania

Giving a shout-out to all the speakers who blessed us with their leadership, wisdom and kindness at this year's Ride for Kids!

* Jim Krenn, our star Emcee, who led us through the entire program
* Jimmy Spagnolo, who sang our National Anthem
* Shea Skwortz, who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance
* Lindy Harvey, our STAR who thanked all the bikers and volunteers
* Brownie Statler, who led the Ride and gave the safety briefing
* Larry Cupps, from the Sons of God Motorcycle Club, who led us in prayer and did the Blessing of the Bikes
* Alissa Karas, PBTF's Campaign Manager for the Ride for Kids, who shared accomplishments and a vision of hope
* Dr. Gary Kohanbash, lead researcher in the battle against brain tumors at UPMC Children's Hospital
* Julie McKenzie, our STAR who described the many challenges facing a STAR and her family
* Mike Kazmarski, who blessed each STAR with a "Liam's Crew" bag of gifts
* Bill Cenk, who honored the memory of the Eternal STARS
* Michelle Hall, who announced the winners of our fabulous silent auction prizes and the 50/50

We are fortunate to have so many awesome, selfless people bless the STARS and the Ride for Kids with their time, talents, and treasure!

What a great time at yesterday’s Concert to Cure The Kids!

Kudos to organizers Sharon Volpe and Michelle Ricciardi Hall and a legion of volunteers who made it a hugely fun and successful day!

Thanks to all the wonderful donors of baskets and premium baskets and silent auction prizes! Best collection we've ever had!

Special thanks to John Vento and the Nied’s Hotel Band with special guests Billy Price, Mia Z, Jim Franciscus, Justin Capezzoli, Joe Hadley, and W***y Franklin, and opening songs by the very beautiful Michelle Hall! They kept us entertained all afternoon!!

And thanks to a very engaged and generous crowd of close friends (especially Brenda Meli and Kevin Giza) and many others, we raised a record-breaking, after-expense total of $6,000! That’s a lot of money to help Cure The Kids!!

Julie McKenzie was there to share her personal story of brain tumor survival and thanked everyone for supporting the cause!

P.S. No rain fell on us… Just sun and some stray clouds!

TODAY, Sunday, August 18th … 2pm - 6pm. Stop by for a great afternoon of music at the Fox Chapel Marine & Yacht Club … get in on all the action for a chance to WIN some cool prizes! Ride for Kids - Western Pennsylvania

The Concert is tomorrow!! Thanks to all the generous people and companies who contributed more than 25 Raffle Baskets, *Premium* Raffle Baskets, Silent Auction Prizes, and a 50/50! And did I mention the awesome music?? Tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon, 2:00pm to 6:00pm (doors open at 1:30pm)!

Our annual Concert to Cure The Kids is this coming Sunday! Looking forward to awesome music courtesy of Michelle Ricciardi Hall and Nied's Hotel Band and their special guests, plus raffle baskets, silent auction prizes, a 50/50, and lots of great company and conversation (plus some dancing, too)!

You can't possibly be doing anything more fun on a Sunday afternoon, so come out and help us raise money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation!

Finally catching up with some pics from this past Saturday’s Steel City Mods vs Rockers event at Paradise Island Bowl & Beach on Neville Island! So grateful to Tom and Jason for making the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation the charity of choice for the event! And thanks to Mike and Stef for doing heroes work with the 50/50! We met some great people, saw some very cool bikes, heard some excellent music, and raised a lot of money for the cause! All that on a beautiful Pittsburgh day!

What a perfect Friday night at Lernerville Speedway – organized by our great friend Chris Rudolph and his family! STARS Jaden, Jimmy, Josh and their families were joined by drivers for a meet & greet, got a ton of swag, rode in the pace car, and were just treated like... stars!!

Special thanks to Lernerville Speedway (and especially “media champion” Jessica), Chris Rudolph, and drivers Garrett Krummert and Rick Regalski! Through a silent auction and raffle baskets and a bunch of very generous people, we raised a lot of money for the cause! Thanks to task force members Lew Soltis for handling the ticket sales and Bryce Bladen for the awesome photography!

More pics to come, but let's start with these!

Race fans (and those who just want a night of great fun)... Join us tonight at Lernerville Speedway for our annual "Ride for Kids Night" at the track! Meet STARS and Drivers and see some awesome racing! Thank you, Lernerville Speedway and Chris Rudolph for giving our STARS a fun evening to look forward to every year!!

Our STARS do the "red carpet walk" (actually on a red carpet this year!) on their way to their es**rt bikes -- lined on both sides by high-fives from our awesome bikers! Celebrating STARS Sean, Shea, Lindy, Jaden, Julie, Jimmy, Josh, and Maddie (Hannah also rode)!

Check out all the event pics at https://turnhouse10photos.client-gallery.com/gallery/western-pa-ride-for-kids-2024/ride-for-kids-2024

STAR Families, Bikers, Volunteers, Friends... Download pics of yesterday's Ride for Kids at https://turnhouse10photos.client-gallery.com/gallery/western-pa-ride-for-kids-2024

Thanks to our "star" photographers Bryce, Lou, Eric, and Bryan, there are a lot of photos (and videos soon to come)!! Plus we'll be posting pics regularly over the next few weeks!

To download a photo, hover over it and click on the cloud with the arrow pointing downward (that's in the upper right corner of the photo).

Western PA Ride For Kids 2024 Image gallery by Turnhouse10Media

We are ready for the 2024 Western PA Ride for Kids!!!

Driving home from the setup at CCAC today I went past the billboards on Route 28... A huge thanks to Jay Harris and Orange Barrel Media for another year of sponsorship! Four giant digital billboards advertising the 2024 Ride for Kids (with VIP Es**rt Greg and STAR Sean on the bike)!

Come to the Ride for Kids tomorrow and register onsite! The weather apps show full sun!!

Here's the abbreviated schedule for the Ride for Kids this coming Sunday! Please join us (even if you don't register in advance)!

Remember...
* The 2024 Ride will be at CCAC West Hills Center, 1000 McKee Road, Oakdale PA 15071
* All our STAR celebration activities will be INDOORS
* Both breakfast and lunch will be served
* We are doing this to CURE THE KIDS!!

Volunteer Training is on Thursday, August 1st!

They say that “When you lose a Parent, you lose the Past… When you lose a Spouse, you lose the Present… And when you lose a Child, you lose the Future."

Let’s do everything we can to preserve long and glorious futures for our STARS and their families! Please join us for the Ride for Kids -- or donate, if you can’t be there in person! Register or Donate at https://curethekids.org/event/ride-for-kids/2024-western-pennsylvania-ride-for-kids/

For all our bikers of faith out there... We'll be doing a "Blessing of the Bikes" again this year! Join us for a great cause, a great ride, and a blessing from a pastor who rides! (Plus every biker gets one of these windshield decals!)

Every year, each person who registers for the Ride for Kids gets a T-Shirt, and this year is no exception! Logo on the front, and sponsors on the back. Plus, this year (instead of a ride pin), everybody gets a patch commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Ride for Kids! Register today at https://curethekids.org/event/ride-for-kids/2024-western-pennsylvania-ride-for-kids/

Final Task Force Meeting for the August 4th Ride for Kids - Western Pennsylvania … New INDOOR Venue FOR 2024 - CCAC West Hills Center, just off the Oakdale exit, Rt 30. FYI - Air Conditioning, table n chairs, indoor restrooms) Your $40 registration not only helps the kids and families dealing with Pediatric Brain Tumors, but includes a “Ride for Kids” T-shirt, 40th Anniversary Ride Patch, Continental Breakfast, after ride Lunch, and MORE! BONUS - Meet the “Stars” (local kids n families) who benefit, the local Doctor working to cure the disease! REGISTER TODAY! https://curethekids.org/event/ride-for-kids/2024-western-pennsylvania-ride-for-kids/

Very excited to have two of our favorite people back to make the 2024 Ride for Kids a very special day! Comedian and radio personality Jim Krenn as our Emcee, and Jim Kanfoush as our featured Caricaturist! Both guys know how to put smiles on the faces of STARS and Bikers!

We have CHANGED THE LOCATION for the 2024 Western PA Ride for Kids!! Our new host is CCAC West Hills Center at 1000 McKee Road in Oakdale, PA!

For those who have been following local news, you have heard the announced closing of Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC). PTC has been a thriving Pittsburgh-based college for many years, and we are saddened by the news and its terrible effect on the faculty and students. Unfortunately, our Ride was scheduled to be held at PTC, so it has also been affected. We will miss the faculty and students who have supported the Ride for Kids for many years – first at our Rides at Seneca Valley High School, and then at their own campus in Oakdale. We can’t thank them enough for their incredible friendship and support and wish them much brighter days ahead!

We are blessed that, on very short notice, CCAC West Hills Center volunteered the use of their campus for this year’s Ride for Kids! AND, since CCAC is just up the road from PTC, we don’t have to change the ride route! AND… We are going to be INDOORS at CCAC for our STAR interviews, remarks, and recognition's following the Ride!! Thank you, CCAC West Hills Center for stepping up in our time of need!

Please plan to join us for the 2024 Western Pennsylvania Ride for Kids on Sunday, August 4!
Please register here: https://curethekids.org/event/ride-for-kids/2024-western-pennsylvania-ride-for-kids/

Three Rivers Harley-Davidson Keystone Motorcycle Press

Join us for the Harmony Free Concert on Thursday July 11th! The Indian Brave Campground (located in Harmony) will be sponsoring the concert and all proceeds from the 50/50 drawing will benefit the Western Pennsylvania Ride for Kids!

View the link below for more information!

https://www.facebook.com/share/qiZqWX9JuZr6KMEf/

Information on the concert:
Thursday July 11th, 7:00PM
John Burgh Band 🎸🎷
Bring your own seating!

The Western PA Ride For Kids is officially less than a month away! We are excited to see you on August 4th!
Register today and help us "Cure The Kids!"
rideforkids.org/westpenn

Rivers Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Press

One of the very best things about the Ride for Kids is that the STARS, their siblings, and (often) their parents join the hour+ Ride in a sidecar, on a trike, or on a two-wheeler! Their smiles and excitement and the memories they create for all of us make it all worthwhile! We are always looking for VIP's to ride the STARS and their families, so bikers -- please let us know if you'd like a partner for the Ride!

Happy Independence Day to all the bikers, volunteers, STARS, their families, sponsors, and donors who make the annual Ride for Kids successful! Hope it's an awesome day for all!

Long-overdue sharing more pics from the 2023 Ride for Kids! The 2024 Ride is just around the bend on August 4th! Register today and help us "Cure The Kids!" https://curethekids.org/event/ride-for-kids/2024-western-pennsylvania-ride-for-kids/

This post was borrowed from Facebook (credit to Shawn Morgan). We liked the message a lot and reproduced it below:

NON-RIDERS TAKE NOTE!!!!!
Riders know this, but the general public may not be aware. If you have never been part of a benefit ride you should know at least this:
Bikers PAY to ride. Something they could do for free. But they choose to pay to ride, the fee can be anywhere between $10 to $20 or $30 per person. Not only do they pay to ride, they usually drop a lot of cash for the extras. Raffles, 50/50, and silent auctions, even Toy Runs for kids....

When you see a group ride by, they are probably riding for charity/great causes/benefits! Instead of getting upset because they blocked traffic or caused you a slight delay, please remember this: They are very generous people!!!

Give them space and your patience. It sometimes helps to have a little reminder about things. So please be patient and smile when you see them because they are doing something good for someone you may know, or for a good cause.

SAVE THE DATES! Western PA Ride For Kids is MORE than just the ride; Its the events that surround it as well! Check out the dates and save them to your calendar. We can't wait to see you supporting Western PA Ride For Kids!

June 26th - Dr. Kohanbash Lab Visit
July 11th - Harmony Free Concert
July 13th - Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
August 4th - 2024 Ride for Kids!
August 9th - Lernerville Speedway
August 18th - Concert to Cure The Kids

Come out and support the Western PA Ride For Kids! 🏍
*More details located in the event posts*

Three Rivers Harley-Davidson Keystone Motorcycle Press