CORPUS CHRISTI — In 2001 motorcycles revved their engines to ride for Ronald McDonald House following a family’s stay for their 6-year-old’s open-heart surgery.
"He’s now 20, attending Texas A&M University, and doing well", his father said.
“Staying at Ronald McDonald House was an eye-opener to us,” said M. Randall Hicks, whose son required the heart surgery.
Hicks and two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Terry Labonte were Carroll High School classmates and friends. After learning of Hicks’ experience, Labonte was moved to endorse the nonprofit Terry Labonte Roam for a Home Foundation, which launches its 12th annual ride this week to give back to Ronald McDonald House.
The ride has raised more than $500,000 for the local Ronald McDonald House, which provided accommodations last year for about 1,000 families with sick children at critical times in their medical treatment.
“If we raise awareness and let this spider web grow — good things come from
that,” said Hicks, now president of the foundation.
A kickoff party Wednesday night at Corpus Christi Harley-Davidson serves as a meet-and-greet for about 140 riders whose 80 motorcycles will roar at 8:30 a.m. Thursday into a 714-mile roam. First-timers join the ranks of more than 1,000 past participants who have collectively roamed more than 376,000 miles. The foundation has raffled two trucks, three trailers and nine motorcycles along the way, raising more than $106,000 in its top year, when organizers accepted 152 motorcycles with some 350 riders.
“These rides are a great example of third-party fundraisers allowing us to do what we do best,” said Mark Avelar, executive director of Ronald McDonald House in Corpus Christi. “It has created excellent momentum for validation of our mission focused on families.”
Labonte’s bunch also has garnered support for other Ronald McDonald Houses in Texas.
“It’s something that’s really important to all of us,” Labonte said Friday from his North Carolina home. “It’s especially touching to visit families at a house, the way we have been allowed, and to learn what it means for them. Unfortunately a lot of these people don’t have great outcomes. But when you see the children smiling, it reinforces the importance of our continued support.
“Our goal is for everyone to know they can help, even $10 helps the children.”
Labonte arrives Wednesday for the ride, he said.
Organizing the roam is challenging.
Consider plotting a route for 140 people to use bathrooms, eat and sleep all at the same times and locations, Hicks said.
“It’s a logistical nightmare,” he said.
To ease congestion, riders are divvied into six color-coded road groups. Each has a designated team captain and road committee leader to guide riders to fuel stops, oversee meal and hotel arrangements, and direct parking.
“This isn’t a typical motorcycle ride,” said Andy Felkner, 59, caption of this year’s Team Ironman. “It’s a great cause. We have always had a good time, but it’s not like you’re beating the bushes trying to run hundreds of miles a day.”
It’s about safe fun, he said.
There are quirky games along the road.
“It’s a variety of crazy things,” Felkner said. “We’ve had a basketball shootout during lunch, and contests to see who can put on chaps fastest, or how many team members can stand in a certain square.”
Some years there have been egg toss competitions for couples, and rope tug of wars among ride groups.
This year’s activities haven’t yet been divulged, because part of the fun is not knowing everything, Felkner said.
This year is sold out. Each rider paid $1,000, or $1,600 for couples, and everything’s provided. Somewhere along this year’s route there will be a motorcycle auction. Everyone gets a ticket, but it’s the last ticket drawn that wins.
A recent pre-ride by organizers helped establish this year’s roam, with fuel stops and lunch places en route to Galveston. A two-night stay is planned at The Tremont Place, a European-style hotel in the island’s historic district. On Friday night a dinner and live auction are planned to bolster fundraising. On Saturday teams take a Port Bolivar Ferry ride to roam north into Texas for lunch before looping westerly to return to Corpus Christi.
A support group roams among the teams with comfort items, snacks and drinks. And there’s a wrecker for breakdowns, which also has extra motorcycles in case needed.
Safety is paramount. All participants must wear helmets, keep pace with road leaders and abide departure and meeting times.
“Everybody follows what we tell them or they don’t go,” Falkner said.
No alcohol can be consumed during ride times and the foundation reserves the right to oust anyone who doesn’t abide its rules."
No alcohol is allowed until bikes are parked", Falkner said.
“We will even take a bus sometimes.”
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Source:
Caller (
Baird, 3/25)
