Motorcyclists raise %156K at the Hudson Valley Ride for Kids

Hundreds of caring motorcyclists raised $156,319 at the 10th annual Hudson
Valley Ride for Kids on Sunday, August 5.

As an early morning sunrise came over the hazy tops of the Catskill Mountains,
the riders gathered at the Anthony Wayne recreation area of Harriman State Park.
At ten o'clock sharp the motorcycle escort -- courtesy of the Stoney Point
Police Department, the Rockland County Sheriff's Office and the New York State
Police -- led the assembled group from Harriman State park toward the beautiful
river village of Piermont, NY, the end point for this year's ride.


Under the big tent at the "Celebration of Life" program in Piermont, the
assembled crowd of riders heard from 21-year-old Chris Taraollo as he described
his ordeal as a brain tumor survivor. Tracy Parker, another 18-year-old
survivor, spoke of how she finished her senior year of high school after being
diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 17. Tracey will enter Fordham University
this fall.


Daniel Reyes, age 9, was excited to tell about his motorcycle ride in his first
Ride for Kids event. Lauren Luce, age 4, who made her second appearance at the
Hudson Valley Ride, was equally thrilled. Three-year old Emily Kryger and her
father shared an emotional moment with the crowd as Dad described the family's
emotional rollercoaster ride since Emily's recent malignant brain tumor
diagnosis.


The crowd applauded as Ed and Brigitte Pugliese were named the champion
fundraisers with $44,740, raised in memory of Ed's mother who died from a brain
tumor. Top Club honors went to GWRRA NY-S with $62,393. The Top Dealer was
Prestige Harley Davidson with $9,771. The excited winner of the new Honda
Motorcycle was Patrick Flynn. All the survivors, both young and old, brought the
crowd to its feel when the big check was unrolled revealing that $156,319 had
been donated to fund research to find the cause and cure for childhood brain
tumors.


Ride for Kids events are held across the USA to support programs of the
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the US (PBTFUS). The next Ride for Kids
event will be August 19, 2001 in N. Oxford, MA. For additional information,
contact the Ride for Kids at 800-253-6530 or visit our website at:
www.ride4kids.org or www.pbtfus.org.


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