On April 19, 2008, four members of IvyRiders and two guests participated in the 6th Annual Top Gun Ride for Children. The ride included 236 bikes and generated over $20,000 in donations for two worthy charities. At 4:00 p.m., all 236 bikes left the Hooter’s in Kennesaw riding two-abreast and proceeded on a 26 mile, one-hour ride. The Cobb County Motorcycle Corps provided an escort for the parade of bikes, which concluded at Cobb County’s McCollum Field where everyone enjoyed a meal, an opportunity to participate in a silent auction, and good camaraderie in addition to inspecting a variety of aircraft. This year represents the fourth consecutive year IvyRiders supported the Top Gun Ride and the second consecutive year IvyRiders hosted a photo concession. See http://www.topgunrideatlanta.com for more information on the event as well as the photo gallery from the ride.

The two charities that benefited from the ride included the Center for Children & Young Adults and the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation.

The Center, a nonprofit organization, operates two temporary emergency shelters for abused, abandoned, and neglected children and youth, Open Gate and Another Chance, and a transitional living program, Turning Point. Open Gate cares for up to nine boys and girls between the ages of birth to 11 while Another Chance serves up to 26 adolescents ages 12 to 17. Turning Point provides residential, educational and vocational training for young adults between the ages of 17 and 21. In 2007 The Center served more than 220 children, youth and young adults from Metro-Atlanta and 25 surrounding counties. At any given time The Center accommodates approximately 43 children and young adults. The Center receives a per diem by the state for each child served. Unfortunately, a gap exists that exceeds $100 per child per day between the per diem and the actual cost of care. The Center relies on special fundraisers such as the Top Gun Ride for Children to bridge the gap.

Established in 1994, the Foundation provides emergency relief assistance to the members and families of the Georgia National Guard, our State's reservists and qualified active duty service members that live in the State of Georgia. The Foundation, although not a military organization, receives recognition as an official support organization of the Georgia National Guard.

This year’s photo concession gave ride participants an opportunity to pay an addition $10 to have their photo taken in front of a Vietnam-era “Huey” flown to McCollum Field by the Georgia National Guard. Thirty-two riders signed-up for photos, which generated and additional $320, all of which went directly to The Center. A special thanks to T.J. Hart for serving as our photographer, and to our guests, Rachel Blankenship and Susan Herzog, for helping with biker registration and logistics.

A special thanks to all of the IvyRiders and their guests for operating our concession and actively soliciting riders. We had a very successful day and generated some much need funds for The Center.

Larry Hall