KINGSVILLE, Texas — Grab on to those handle bars, and spin those wheels because you're invited to take a ride on the wild side. The Kingsville Noon Lions Club is gearing up for their crown jewel event of the year - their 20th Annual Ride on the Wild Side Bike Tour.
“It’s a bike tour on the King Ranch and throughout the Kingsville area,” Membership Chair David Christopher said.
The tour features 10, 35, even 65 mile routes, all for good causes, mainly towards the Lions Camp.
“We camp about 1,500 children yearly free of charge to them,” Christopher said.
Christopher said the camp is aimed at showing and teaching children with 150 types of difficulties, like Down syndrome, diabetes and more, how to take care of themselves and administer their medications.
The camp is for kids ages eight to 16 and they stay there for a week. Each kid’s attendance costs about $2,000, but since the money is raised, it is free for the family.
The bike ride is on Saturday, April 26 and begins at 8 a.m at The King Ranch Gate.
“It’s $50 per rider, you get a tee-shirt, a goody bag from our city, and of course the knowledge that you’re helping send children to camp,” Christopher said.
The money raised will go towards giving kids like Craig an unforgettable experience.
“Craig is a Type 1 diabetic. He was diagnosed at age five,” Craig’s mother Sheri Hayes said.
Hayes said she recalled Craig going to the camp when he was eight and nine.
“He told me they did swimming, dancing, arts and crafts, they have a great camp out, roasting marshmallows,” Hayes said.
She said that as a mother of a Type 1 diabetic, she was worried at first about sending her son away for days in a row.
“It’s hard being the parent of a child with cancer or type 1 diabetic because you can’t send them to just any summer camp,” Hayes said.
But she found comfort in all the caregivers who became teachers along the way.
“They teach them how to administer their own shots. If they are on insulin shots, they teach them how to put the pump on,” Hayes said.
But what she found most comforting as a mother was her son's newly found self-esteem.
“The best thing he said about the camp was that he was just like every other kid there. Every other kid was like him, and it made him feel welcome and supported,” Hayes said.
The Lions Club is hoping to get more than 200 riders this year. The Ride on the Wild Side will be on Saturday, April 26. It starts at 8 a.m at the King Ranch Gate located at 1831 W Santa Gertrudis.
For more information, check out their website by clicking here or to learn more about the Kingsville Noon Lions Club click here.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
