By Lulu

The yearly Ride for Children was quite a bit different this year. Bruce Rossmeyer started this ride 26 years ago! The Rossmeyer family was not about to let something like COVID-19 stop them from fulfilling their yearly pledge of helping Camp Boggy Creek! For anyone who does not know, the Camp is in Eustis and allows critically ill children to attend a real camp with all the activities healthy children would partake it. They bring medical staff to camp to assist in the care these children can not do without. A chance of a lifetime for kids to forget they are ill and to just be kids! The parents do not pay for this gift!

Normally there is a VIP night prior to The Ride but because of social distancing they skipped that. Dunkin Donuts and coffee started the day, Miller Lite quenched our thirst and Colt’s Pig Stand filled our bellies with great BBQ. The ride had two celebrity riders this year, NASCAR’s Rusty Wallace and the fireman Tim Duffy in the famous photo riding his bike in full gear through the aftermath of the destruction on the first Twin Tower, only to have the 2nd tower collapse on him. The total raised by the sponsors and the loyal Boggy Creek riders despite COVID-19 was $330,440!! In Mandy Rossmeyer’s own words, “I still can’t believe it…I want to thank our presenting sponsor, John Hamlin with Hamlin & Associates and everyone that supported the ride this year!” A special thank you also must go out to Deborah Elaine Ringhaver for her donation of a servi-car that was auctioned off for tens of thousands and then was auctioned off again, as the winner allowed the second place bidder to buy the bike for his bid! Just an amazing event!!! Thank you to each generous soul who keeps this event alive! Bruce was certainly smiling on all of us that day!