The RFK is a series of motorcycle rides across the country that raises money for the Pediatrics Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF). Each rider raises a minimum of $35 to participate. You can click on the link to learn more about the PBTF, or, to save you some surfing time, I've included some of the stuff I thought was really important near the end. Just follow this link or read on.
It actually started with curiosity. I've read about the RFK in various motorcycle
magazines. Everyone who wrote made it sound like a big deal. So in 2001, I decided
I would go and see for myself. It was everything I read about and more. There
were over 1,000 people in the location I went to (Columbia, MD), and the riders
raised over $170,000. But the part that really got me was seeing some of the
kids who either had, or have recovered from brain tumors. These kids were having
a great time with all the motorcyclists, and rode up front in sidecars. I lost
a close friend of mine to a brain tumor several years ago, so it was good to
see these kids getting a fighting chance, and enjoying the experience. Another
reason I enjoyed the experience so much had to do with a stereotype that many
people seem to have about motorcyclists. That we are all gang members and just
ride to scare people, or show off. Here was a public place where people could
and did see all the good we did. The route of the ride was lined with people
waving us on! I wrote an article about this ride for a motorcycle group I'm
a member of. I copied the article at the end of this webpage.
While I was at the ride, I ran into several people that I knew. Some were riding, others were volunteering. During the year, I spoke with the volunteers about what was involved in the ride. After doing the ride again in 2002 with my wife, I decided that for 2003, I wanted to both raise some serious money, and help out in the ride. I joined the task force that year and was the assistant parking lead. This year (2005) will be my third year in the Task Force. My primary responsibility is to head up the Start/End point parking team. I also help out by managing our team's on line source of sharing information.
As I said above, in 2003, I really want to raise some serious money. After a, shall we say, disappointing score on my cholesterol test, my doctor convinced me I needed a major change of habit in my eating. One thing she said really stuck with me. She said not having lunch in a restaurant everyday could make a big difference, because most food from the restaurants was high in fat. And pretty much, Monday to Friday, that's what I've been doing, eating at the various restaurants near my office. So I worked on not eating out, and took the money I saved by bringing my own lunch, and donated that at the ride. Unfortunately my eating habits got lazy, and I admit, I slipped and have been eating at restaurants again. I am working on getting back into bagging it, or at least eating better!
The second part of my plan is this web page. I'll admit it. I'm not comfortable going around asking for donations. I used to sell things to raise money back when I was a Boy Scout and wasn't comfortable with that either. A lot of people who have been successful send mass e-mail out to their co-workers. Where I work (the Federal Gov't) that is not allowed. Not that they are being mean, but all fundraising is supposed to be done by in an organized effort once a year. Otherwise gov't employees get mobbed with requests. So I'm just letting people know that I'm looking to raise money through this webpage, which I list in my e-mail signatures. If anyone would like to donate money (of any amount) through me, I'd be happy to turn your donation in when I participate in the ride. Plus I would send you a receipt, and hopefully some pictures from the day.
To be more accurate, I won't be riding in the RFK. I've been involved in several large group type of activities (such as escorting 1,500 bicycles), and one thing I learned is that to make things work requires a LOT of background support from volunteers. So again this year, on the day of the RFK, I'll be working; making sure all the bikes at the start and end point get parked properly. Easier said than done with such a large number of motorcycle in a small space in a short period of time. But I also will be remembering the reason for the whole event and making my donation as well.
Thanks for your support! If you e-mail me at Nighthawk700 (at) yahoo
(dot) com, I'll send you the information for where you can send a donation.
(not a good idea to leave personal information on the web, unfortunately)
Above information was taken from the Ride for Kids webpage. For more information about the PBTF, look here.
By Louis F. Caplan
September 16th, 2001, only five days after the horrible events of
9/11. On this day, I was supposed to ride for the first time in the annual
"Ride for Kids®" (RFK) event in Columbia, MD. For a few
days, I was not even sure if the ride would be held, as the whole nation
was still reeling from the ghastly attack. However, a defiant message soon
appeared on the RFK website, the ride would go on!
For those of you who are not familiar, the RFK is actually a series
of rides held across the country. Riders collect money that is donated to
the Pediatrics Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States (PBTFUS). This
foundation funds research into brain tumors that affect innocent children
across the United States.
After picking up a friend from Gallaudet University in the morning,
I made my way up to Columbia, MD, the staging point for the DC Area RFK.
As I had never done one of these rides before, I had no idea of what to
expect. I was shocked at the number of motorcycles I saw already in the
parking lot, and I was early! There were motorcycles of all makes and models,
of all sizes and colors. As I started the registration process, a friendly
woman handed me a small US flag. She informed me that someone donated a
crateful of the flags, and each and every rider was getting one. Looking
again at the bikes, I saw American flags attached with any means the rider
had possible. After finishing the registration, we each received a RFK
pin, and were offered free orange juice, coffee and donuts, courtesy of Krispy
Kreme donuts. While finishing off my orange juice and wandering among the
hundreds of bikes already there, I ran into several motorcyclist friends
who were also participating in the ride.
After a brief rider meeting, basically going over a few road rules, everyone
made their way to their motorcycles. By this time, the parking lot was full.
I later found out that there were 1,150 motorcyclists participating in the ride.
[note: I later learned it was 1,150 people, including the volunteers] We
then proceeded to ride a 60-mile course, fully escorted by police officers,
through the Maryland countryside. The police stopped traffic at all intersections,
so our ride was non-stop. Many people stepped out of their cars to wave at us.
I especially remember one gentleman, probably in his 60s or 70s who stood at
the side of the road and held a salute to all of the motorcycles as we passed
by.
At the head of the ride were several motorcycles with sidecars. In
the sidecars were special passengers. These were children either currently
suffering from, or who have survived brain tumors. These kids were truly
the stars of our ride.
The ride ended about an hour later, in another large parking lot.
The staff obviously had a lot of practice, and the motorcycles were parked
very efficiently, and quickly. All the riders then picked up a free bag
lunch with a sandwich, some chips and cookies, and a drink. We then continued
to a tent and sat down to eat. While we were eating, Mike Traynor, who began
the RFK in 1984, led us through "God Bless America." We may not have sounded
like a well-trained choir, but you could tell the song came from the heart.
Mike then introduced the kids who have been riding in the sidecars, and
gave us a brief history about each of them. Next he announced the total
proceeds from the ride. We raised $173,219 that day. A new record for the
DC Area ride, and the 4th highest of the 21 RFK rides held in 2001.
As the event closed up, I looked around and could not find a dry
eye among the hundreds of motorcyclists present. We may have been thrown
into confusion and rage on 9/11, but the Ride for Kids®
gave us the emotional booster we all needed.
Last modified: 15 Jan 05