CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America has announced the route for its 14th annual motorcycle ride, to take place July 13-20, 2008. NASCAR driver and Charity Ride founder Kyle Petty will lead more than 250 riders as they wind their way from the Midwest to the Deep South in an effort to raise awareness of and funds for Victory Junction Gang Camp and other children's charities.
Riders will depart July 13 from Traverse City, Mich., making overnight stops in Elkhart Lake, Wis.; Lombard, Ill.; Lexington, Ky.; White Sulfur Springs, W.Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Peachtree City, Ga., before reaching Savannah, Ga., their final destination, on July 19.
Since the Charity Ride's inception in 1995, 5,700 participants have logged more than 7.2 million cumulative motorcycle miles and donated more than $10.5 million to Victory Junction Gang Camp and other charities that support chronically ill children. Petty and his wife, Pattie, founded the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C., in 2004. The year-round camp serves children ages 7 to 15 with a variety of health issues that typically would prevent them from attending camp. The camp operates solely on the donations of corporations, organizations and individuals. The Pettys recently announced the opening of a second Victory Junction Gang Camp in Wyandotte County, Kan.
Chick-fil-A president and chief operating officer Dan Cathy will join Petty on the Charity Ride. This year marks Chick-fil-A's fifth year as the event's title sponsor, and the company has extended its sponsorship agreement through 2009.
Riders will make a pit stop July 17 at Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman during a camp session designed for children with physical disabilities. As a result of the 2007 Charity Ride's efforts, 80 children will attend this five-day session free of charge.
