GREENVILLE - Ricky Craven is set for the 8th annual Ricky Craven Snowmobile Ride for Charity, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 29, 2005 at Greenville, ME.

In a letter to riders for this event Craven had this to say: “Although 2005 brings a change in my racing career, the season will start as it has in the past seven years, with our Annual Snowmobile Charity Ride in the Greenville... and Moosehead Lake area. “The foundation of this event was created when I met a young man named Nathan Russo in the mid-90s. He was a boy approximately the same age as my daughter Riley, looking as healthy but battling a life-threatening disease.

“He went to Victory Lane that day at the New Hampshire Speedway and he smiled with the rest of us as we celebrated our Victory. I could see him each time I returned to New Hampshire to race. He eventually lost his battle and his life at a too young of an age.

“This type of thing puts life into perspective and reminds us of what is truely important. This is how our affiliation with the Make A Wish began and from that point, our objective was to help make a difference in the lives of families in need. This year with your help in our Eighth Annual event, we will surpass a mile-stone of one million dollars accumulative raised for the five foundations. It is a tremendous accomplishment, one I am grateful for and it shows the power of people coming together in an effort to help for a common goal. “However, it will be the first time we are not joined by Mark MacDonald, as he lost his life in 2004. Mark has been with us since the inception, supplying breakfast in each of the seven events we held and also the coffee and donuts that the riders enjoyed at the half-way pit stop. The tradition will continue through Mark’s family. We dedicate this year’s ride to Mark MacDonald and his family. We are reminded each day how important family and friends are and how precious life is.

“Enjoy the comraderie, the friends you have made traveling here and be proud of the fact that your contributions have made a difference.

“On behalf of my family, all committee members, volunteers, sponsors and participants, thank you for all you have done to make the Snowmobile Charity Ride a success.”

The charity ride, sponsored by Arctic Cat, WalMart, Procter & Gamble, Brake Service & Parts, Inc. and VIP Discount Auto Center and will benefit five organizations: Children’s Miracle Network, Make a Wish Foundation, The Marrow Foundation, The Travis Roy Foundation and Give Kids the World.

A full day of events will begin at the Greenville High School starting with registration and a breakfast brought to you by Dunkin Donuts and sled line-up between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. At 8:15, announcements will be made and Molly Luce will sing the National Anthem.

The approximately 60-mile snowmobile ride led by Ricky Craven will leave the school around 8:30 a.m., come across Moosehead Lake and up past the clubhouse of the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile club. Then it will travel around Wilson Pond, over Blue Ridge and then riders will congregate at the Katahdin Iron Works parking lot for hot beverages and something to eat. The riders will return on a slightly different route crossing Blue Ridge on a different trail and returning to the starting point. Trail conditions could alter the exact path of the ride. Upon return to the high school, lunch and an autograph session will follow and the presentation of checks and awarding of the door prizes will end the event. The entry fee is $125 per person.

Take a chance on a 2004 Harley Davidson XL1200R Sportster, which comes with a 5’X10’ Forest River Enclosed Trailer to haul your new bike. What to haul it with? How about a 2004 Silverado 1500 2WD Reg. Cab WT? There are only 500 tickets available for this grand prize , each ticket costs $100. In addition there will be seven other items raffled off at $10 a ticket. First prize gets you a 2005 Arctic Cat ATV; second prize is a 2005 Arctic Cat Snowmobile; third prize winner claims an oriental rug courtesy of Carpet World in Holden; fourth prize is a Ricky Craven TIDE Racing Uniform; fifth prize winner takes home a comfy leather recliner from Stonington’s Furniture in Brewer; sixth place is a canoe from Bear Creek Canoe in Limerick and the seventh place winner receives the Darlington race track “WIN” autographed picture from Ricky. Raffle tickets will be drawn at the event.

The inaugural charity ride raised approximately $41,948. Last year was a huge success with $253,000 raised for the same charities. A celebrity guest, Governor John Baldacci, will be joining the ride this year on an Arctic Cat supplied by Big Lake Equipment in Greenville. Tickets are available in Greenville at Higgins Real Estate (695-4500) or NAPA of Greenville (695-3585).
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Moosehead Messenger and is used here with permission."