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Kyle Petty Charity Ride

Kyle Petty Charity Ride postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19

By Daniel McFadinMar 23, 2020, 11:27 AM EDT
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The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America announced Monday that this year’s tour has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally scheduled to take place May 2-8, 2020, it will now occur May 1-7, 2021.

The ride will still follow the same route, visit the same scheduled stops and maintain the same participating sponsors as previously announced.

“Throughout the ever changing and dynamic COVID-19 pandemic, our utmost concern has always been and always will be the health and safety of our riders, team and fans,” Kyle Petty, a NBC Sports racing analyst, said in a press release. “While it saddens me that we must postpone this year’s Ride, I know in my heart that this is what’s best for everyone involved. And I can guarantee that we will keep our promise to bring the exact plans for our 26th Anniversary Ride to life in 2021 and continue our mission to raise funds to send kids to Victory Junction!”

The Charity Ride raises money for Victory Junction – a camp dedicated to providing life-changing camping experiences for children with chronic and serious medical illnesses. It has served as the Ride’s primary beneficiary since its establishment by Petty and his family in 2004 in honor of his late son, Adam.

 

Kyle Petty Charity Ride raises $1.7 million for Victory Junction

Kyle Petty Charity Ride
By Daniel McFadinJun 18, 2019, 11:07 AM EDT
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The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America raised $1.7 million for the Victory Junction camp during its 25th anniversary motorcycle tour, the organization announced Tuesday.

Victory Junction,  a camp in Randleman, North Carolina, serves children with chronic medical illnesses. The Ride’s donation supports maintenance programs, building projects and summer camperships.

On May 3, NBC Sports analyst Kyle Petty and 250 fellow motorcycle riders embarked from Seattle, Washington, on a nearly 3,700-mile route, the longest in its history. They traveled through 11 states in nine days before ending in Key Largo, Florida.

Funds were gathered from fans along the route, as part of the Ride’s “Small Change, Big Impact” program, as well as donations made by generous sponsors, organizations, and the riders themselves.

In addition to the $1.7 million raised by the Ride, a $2 million donation was presented to the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Trust by the Andreas family in honor of a Charity Rider, the late David Andreas. The Trust was established by the Ride in 2015 to fund Victory Junction in perpetuity.

“This year’s Ride was amazing! We had beautiful views, crowds at every stop, police escorts the entire trip, a little rain, fun visits with Victory Junction campers, great food and lots of laughs with friends for nine straight days,” Petty said in a press release. “When you get 250 people together that care about kids, want to help others and love to ride motorcycles, it’s going to be fun! Riding corner to corner across America just made it more special.”

Since 1995, 8,650 riders have logged more than 12.4 million cumulative motorcycle miles and raised $18.5 million for Victory Junction and other children’s charities.

 

RPM announces strategic partnership

Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
By Dustin LongMay 31, 2019, 11:06 AM EDT
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World Wide Technology, in collaboration with Victory Junction, announced a collaboration Friday at Pocono Raceway with Richard Petty Motorsports.

Through a leadership donation by World Wide Technology founder and chairman David Steward and his family, Victory Junction will partner with Bubba Wallace‘s team this season.

Wallace will have Victory Junction on his No. 43 car for a select number of Cup races, beginning with this weekend’s event at Pocono Raceway. Wallace said in a Friday press conference at Pocono that the deal is for 16 races.

Victory Junction is an 84-acre camp for children with serious illnesses. The camp opened in 2004 and has delivered more than 50,000 camp experiences to children and their families. World Wide Technology will leverage its strategic partnership with Wallace and Richard Petty Motorsports to donate to Victory Junction the creation and development of an advertising, fundraising and call-to-action campaign: “Feel Your Heart Race.”

MORE: RPM pit crew’s tradition of waving to drivers before races

“I remember when I was a kid, having a lot of fun going out and doing things with my friends, and Victory Junction provides that and gives each child the opportunity to simply be a kid,” Wallace said in a media release. “The camp makes these kids feel as special as they truly are. This is a great opportunity for NASCAR fans to support Victory Junction and make every kid feel special – to feel empowered. Fifteen years is a great accomplishment and I want to do my part to help Victory Junction reach another 15 years.”

Said Steward in a media release: “Investments in diversity are critical for the long-term viability and future competitiveness of WWT. The same applies to the sport of racing. As the only African American NASCAR driver in over 40 years, we have been honored to support Bubba Wallace. With the Victory Junction alliance, we will celebrate and enable kids with diverse challenges and perspectives to reach their fullest abilities.

“Given our family’s long history with Variety the Children’s Charity, BJC Health System and St. Jude’s, it was an easy decision to get involved with Victory Junction. Diversity matters. That is why we support Bubba. That is why we support Victory Junction.”

 

Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America to visit East Coast in 2018

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By Daniel McFadinMar 1, 2018, 12:01 PM EST
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For the first time in seven years, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America will traverse the East Coast as it raises money for the Victory Junction camp.

The camp, located in Randleman, North Carolina, is dedicated to providing life-changing camping experiences for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

Last year the ride raised $1.3 million and sent 100 children to the camp, which has served as the ride’s primary beneficiary since its establishment by Petty and his family in 2004 in honor of his late son, Adam.

This year’s campaign marks the 24th anniversary of the charity ride and will feature 225 riders traveling 1,200 miles over seven days.

The journey – called the “Americana Tour” – begins May 5 in Portland, Maine, and ends May 11 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“We heard the requests of both our riders and fans, and we’re excited to deliver a special route full of incredible surprises and experiences, like riding through Shenandoah National Park – which will be the 13th national park visited on the Ride,” Kyle Petty said in a release. “We’ll also be ending the Ride at Camp this year, which always brings everything full circle. Year after year, all the miles we travel are for the kids at Victory Junction. They’re the reason we ride.”

The trip will include visits to New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway, the hallowed grounds of Woodstock, tours of the Martin Guitar Factory, Harley-Davidson Factory and Petty Museum and a visit to Manheim Pennsylvania, the world’s largest auto auction.

Manheim is the presenting sponsor of the ride.

24th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Schedule:

  • Day 1, Saturday, May 5 – Portland, Maine to Albany, New York
  • Day 2, Sunday, May 6 – Albany, New York to Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania
  • Day 3, Monday, May 7 – Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania to Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Day 4, Tuesday, May 8 – “Off Day” in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Day 5, Wednesday, May 9 – Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Winchester, Virginia
  • Day 6, Thursday, May 10 – Winchester, Virginia to Hot Springs, Virginia
  • Day 7, Friday, May 11 – Hot Springs, Virginia to Greensboro, North Carolina

Keep up with Petty and the Ride on social media at the following accounts:

Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America raises $1.3 million

Photo: Kyle Petty Charity Ride
By Dustin LongJun 20, 2017, 3:00 PM EDT
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The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America raised $1.3 million, the most since 2008, event organizers announced Tuesday.

Funds benefit Victory Junction, a camp dedicated to children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Since the charity ride began in 1995, more than 8,000 children have attended the camp at no cost.

The charity ride, hosted by NASCAR on NBC analyst and former Cup driver Kyle Petty, started May 13 from Portland, Oregon, and a week later in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The charity ride featured 200 bikers.

“This might be my 23rd year leading the Ride, but the overwhelming support we receive from fans in local towns across America just never ceases to impress me and we’re so grateful for that,” said Petty in a statement. “We had a very special welcome in Ten Sleep, Wyoming, where an entire K-12 school came out to greet us, and unforgettable receptions in Walla Walla, Washington, and in Mitchell, South Dakota. Not to mention the support from small towns like Kooskia, Idaho, and Raymond and Darwin, Minnesota.”

This charity ride surpassed last year’s total funds by $300,000. Funds were gathered from fans along the route, along with donations from sponsors, organizations and riders.

“We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our loyal sponsors, and this year we were fortunate enough to visit our friends at Manheim Portland, Manheim Minneapolis, WinCraft Inc. and Harley- Davidson,” said Petty. “Not only did these companies make generous contributions to our cause, but they also made an extra special effort to provide our riders with great food, live music, activities and more.”

Since 1995, more than 8,175 riders traveled more than 11.9 million cumulative miles and raised $18 million for Victory Junction and other children’s charities. Victory Junction has served as the charity ride’s main beneficiary since its establishment by Petty and his family in 2004 in honor of his late son, Adam.

Petty talked about the ride during an episode of the NASCAR on NBC podcast last month.

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