The Kyle Petty Charity Ride hit a significant milestone this year, raising nearly $1.8 million for Victory Junction, a camp in Randleman, North Carolina, servicing children with chronic medical illnesses.
The Kyle Petty Charity Ride, which began back in 1995, has featured NASCAR driver-turned-analyst Kyle Petty and hundreds of riders traveling thousands of miles on motorcycles. The purpose from the beginning was to raise money for those in need.
The focus changed slightly in June 2004 when the Petty family opened Victory Junction, a camp inspired by the late Adam Petty's dream of developing a camp so that children with serious illnesses could experience joyful childhood experiences.
The Charity Ride has spent decades raising funds to support campers, build additions for Victory Junction, and complete maintenance programs. This year's ride coincided with the opening of the new Kyle Petty Charity Ride Water Park at Victory Junction, a nearly $3 million project.
Photo credit: Kevin Kane Photography
"Every year, the Ride is always a week I look forward to and never forget," Petty said in a press release. "This year was extra special because we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Victory Junction. The Ride has been a part of Camp since its inception and, to date, we remain Victory Junction's largest cumulative donor.
"We visited spectacular places and enjoyed several once-in-a-lifetime experiences on this year's Ride, but my favorite part was ending at Camp. It was truly an emotional moment for me to celebrate 20 years of Victory Junction - which all began as Adam's dream. To know we have kept his dream alive and to see Adam's smile on the faces of so many campers who were there to welcome us home, meant the absolute world to me."
This year's ride began in Deadwood, South Dakota, and ended at Victory Junction. The route took hundreds of riders to several iconic locations, such as Mount Rushmore National Monument, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Churchill Downs, the National Corvette Museum, and Bristol Motor Speedway.