By CAROLYN CARY
Our Fayette Heritage

Standing in the parking lot of a mall at 5:30 in the morning was unique in itself.

Hearing “Register here, no waiting” and then a cowbell ringing added to the mystery.

I was volunteering at the “Ride For Kids,” conducted each year as a fund-raiser for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. This was the 17th ride in Georgia and the first one for me.

Over a thousand motorcyclists registered for the ride from the North Point Mall to the town of Helen, each bringing in the funds they had raised during the past year. Altogether they turned in over $244,000.00. The cowbells were rung each time someone turned in $300 or more.

I was seated at a table stamping the backs of checks, other volunteers were signing the riders up and my favorite volunteers were those assigned to bring around donuts and coffee.

At 9:15 we were told to cease our volunteer activities and prepare to get on our motorcycles, about 90 percent of which were Honda “Gold Wings”. “Preparing” meant heading for a port-a-potty and wiping the rain drops off your helmet.

No, I don't drive one but I sit proudly as a co-rider. Sam Hill is the driver and I get to ride with him because his wife, Sami, has her own bike.

Chapter S of the Georgia Gold Wing Road Riders Assoc. got to ride at the head of the line because it collected the most money last year, then came the volunteers and then those that registered the earliest, etc. A sheriff's deputy on a motorcycle headed out at exactly 9:30 a.m., we fell in and were on our way for the 65 miles to Helen. We never stopped until we got there, with various county law enforcement blocking the crossroads along the way.

There were literally thousands along the way in their front yards, standing in front of their churches and on the bridges. I couldn't count the times we all waved back, it was especially neat to see the children's faces light up when you looked specifically at them and waved.

The 1,200 motorcycles made a line of traffic about 6 miles long which kept the Channel 2 helicopter busy recording all of it.

After two hours and thousands of waves we arrived, were given a sack lunch, found a seat under a huge tent and met about a dozen of the youngsters who have recovered from a brain tumor. One of them said she didn't realize so many people loved her by giving the money needed to cure her. A number of them were teenagers who had been cured for several years and told of their plans for college. Listening to them certainly made it all worthwhile.

I came away with several warm, fuzzy feelings. One was for the 18-month-old who wasn't cured yet, but you just knew she would be, and the pride of belonging to Fayetteville Chapter P, because we won first place for bringing in the most money, over $25,000.00. And you know what that means, next year we get to ride at the head of the column. I've already marked the first Sunday of June, 2001.

Carolyn Cary is Fayette County's official historian and editor of “The History of Fayette County,” published by the Fayette County Historical Society. Her e-mail address is ccary@TheCitizenNews.com.

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