The North Platte community welcomed NASCAR’s Kyle Petty and nearly 150 other motorcyclists in the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America with open arms on Saturday.
A police escort guided the motorcyclists to the Holiday Inn Express next to Interstate 80, and fans lined up to cheer on the riders as they pulled into the lot.
“You roll over the top of the interstate and you see the Holiday Inn Express sitting here, and the parking lot was packed, man,” Petty said. “It was like, ‘Oh my gosh. What are these people doing out on a Saturday night? Coming to see us.’ And that’s pretty cool. And that’s what this is all about.”
The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America ended its first day in North Platte, checking into the Holiday Inn Express before taking off for St. Paul, Nebraska, in the morning.
The ride started in Deadwood, South Dakota, and made stops in Chadron and Mullen before coming to town
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In North Platte, Petty was awarded a key to the city by Mayor Brandon Kelliher, who praised Petty’s efforts and told him a bit about North Platte’s history in helping people traveling through the city on the way to fight in World War II.
“That’s what this city is known for is helping people,” Petty said. “People who came through, feeding people. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re just trying to feed the kids, feed their souls when they go to camp.”
The charity ride is raising money for Victory Junction, a camp in Randleman, North Carolina, for children with serious medical needs and chronic medical conditions.
Trips to the camp are fully paid for through fundraising, as is transportation and any medicine or needs the children may have while there.
Victory Junction was built in memory of Petty’s son, Adam, who died in a 2000 racing accident. The camp has been open for 20 years, and Petty raises money for it every year.
Every rider pays a fee to participate, and the ride has sponsors. The charity ride also accepts donations at every stop if fans wish to give.
Several celebrities joined Petty on the ride, including his father, NASCAR great Richard Petty. Former NFL running back Herschel Walker, NBC NASCAR analyst and Grand Island native Rick Allen, and former NASCAR greats Kenny Wallace, Mike Wallace and Ken Schrader joined the ride as well.
“We’ve seen 125,000 kids that have either come through the gates or we’ve seen them through our reach program,” Petty said. “Every one of these riders, every one of these bikes come in with these people, every one of these fans you see standing here in line, they believe in that cause. It’s so important, it’s so cool. It’s been a fun day.”