Route set for Petty charity ride across eastern U.S.

Charlotte, N.C. -- The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America announced Monday the ride route for its 2007 motorcycle ride. NASCAR driver Kyle Petty will be joined by more than 250 participants, including NASCAR celebrities, ride sponsors and motorcycle enthusiasts, to travel more than 2,800 miles in eight days. The group will travel the East Coast from the woodlands of New England to the Blue Ridge Mountains as it heads towards its final destination, the beaches of Florida.

Now in its 13th year, the charity ride has included more than 5,350 riders who have logged more than 45,000 miles and donated more than $9 million to charity. In 2006, the ride donated $1.2 million to the Victory Junction Gang Camp and other children's charities. Petty and his wife, Pattie, founded the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which is dedicated to enriching the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically sound environment.

For More Information

• Kyle Petty Charity Ride
• Kyle Petty Virtual Ride
• Victory Junction Gang Camp

"The charity ride gets bigger and better every year thanks to the unbelievable support of our faithful riders, sponsors and fans," Petty said. "Pattie and I deeply appreciate the individuals across the nation whose generosity touches the lives of deserving children and their families. We are excited to shake things up a bit this year and travel the East Coast -- and to see our fans, who give us the energy and motivation to keep going."

The 2007 Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride kicks off in Bar Harbor, Maine, on July 14 and will make overnight stops in Woodstock, Vt.; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Gettysburg, Pa.; Hot Springs, Va.; Augusta, Ga.; St. Augustine, Fla.; and concludes on July 20 when riders will relax at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Fuel and overnight stops throughout the ride will be marked by events and activities for fans, supporters and riders. On July 18, riders will stop at the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C., to meet campers and tour the grounds. This week, designed for children with burn, skin or craniofacial disorders, is funded by proceeds from the 2006 charity ride. As a result of the ride's efforts, 125 children will attend the 5-day camp session free of charge.

"With 12 amazing years of the charity ride under our belt, we're excited to bring in a new route, new activities and new features for 2007 that will allow even more people to share in the ride experience," Petty said. "Every year, the generosity of our riders, sponsors and fans allows us to donate more funds to Victory Junction Gang Camp and other children's charities than the year before, and we are immeasurably grateful for their continued support."

For fans near and far who can't experience the ride in person, Kyle's Virtual Ride will track the route and each day's adventures with video footage, audio journal entries and interviews, photos and Kyle's journal entries.

In 2006, fans and spectators donated coins along the charity ride route through the "Small Change. Big Impact." program. These donations totaled more than $53,000 -- the equivalent of sending 21 additional campers to the Victory Junction Gang Camp at no cost to their families. "Small Change. Big Impact." will collect contributions again in 2007 and will extend its reach into communities along the ride route. Led by Kyle Petty, riders will create acts of goodwill in communities along the ride route, demonstrating that quarters add up to make dollars -- hundreds and thousands of dollars -- and even the smallest act of kindness can benefit children across the nation in big ways.

For the fourth year, Chick-fil-A will serve as the title sponsor of the charity ride and recently announced its extension of the sponsorship through 2009. To learn more about the 2007 Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, visit www.kylepettycharityride.com.