HOT SPRINGS — Riding through Hot Springs feels like going home to Kyle Petty.
As a North Carolina native, the former NASCAR driver explained before how U.S. 220 runs all the way through Virginia down to the place he grew up.
So, when Petty led the charge of 125 motorcycles into Hot Springs last month, the community’s outpour was second to none as they greeted the eight-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and a number of other celebrity riders with a warm welcome.
“They welcome you there with open arms,” Petty said. “If we never had to leave there, it would be perfect because it’s just a great place.”
The stop in Hot Springs marked the final day of the weeklong 29th Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, an annual ride hosted by Petty to raise money for Victory Junction, a camp dedicated to giving kids with serious medical conditions a free camping experience.
This year’s ride, which went from May 3-May 9, raised over $1.4 million for the camp located in Randleman, North Carolina.
Named “The Tour of Wonders,” Petty said this year’s ride was different in that they spent time in places, such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Niagara Falls, adding that when you’re not on the road stopping places, you aren’t generating income.
When reflecting on the ride and how much money they raised, pride was the first word that came to Petty’s mind as he was taken aback by the amount of support they received this year for the places they stopped at.
“It really surprised me at the caring and the giving from so many people who came out and donated,” Petty said.
Petty knows the ride couldn’t have been done without a number of big-time sponsors, such as Coca-Cola and Harley Davidson among others.
Anyone can want to do a charity ride, Petty explained, but they need credibility to get it up and running.
With huge sponsorships and a number of noteworthy celebrity riders, such as seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty and former NFL star Herschel Walker, it’s easier to find some helping hands.
“It gives you credibility,” Kyle Petty said. “I think that’s the thing. You have credibility before you even come to town.”
Coca-Cola has been with Petty for the long haul as he’s been spokesperson and representative of the soft drink brand since 1991, having had a major presence throughout his racing career.
“I know that’s crazy,” Petty said. “I just tell people, ‘The last century.’ It’s truly amazing. They’re a great, great company.”
The camp itself was recently expanded from 80-100 acres to 500 acres by Richard Petty, Kyle’s father, and everything you could imagine for a kid’s camp is there, such as pools and arts and crafts.
Petty said they try to keep their number of employees low and their volunteers high, which helps with the cost of getting as many kids to camp as possible.
Between getting a kid to camp and furnishing the meds the child needs, Petty said it costs somewhere around $2,800 for one kid to get a camping experience at no cost for the parents.
“For every $2,800 we raise, we can bring a kid to camp for free,” Petty said. “Costs the parents nothing, and that’s the whole goal. It’s never a financial burden for a family. If your kid wants to come to camp, send him. It’s totally free. We’ll help get him there, we’ll take care of him while we’re there, and we’ll get him back to you.”
By the time they get to the end of the year, Petty said they’ve got enough money to get through the first 3-4 months of the following year, and added it isn’t a lot because they’ve given most of the funds away by Dec. 31.
“Everything we did last year sends kids [to camp] this year,” Petty said. “Everything we do this year sends kids next year.”
Through all the money raised and all the kids they’re able to get to camp, Petty said there’s never a moment of reflection where he looks back at what’s been accomplished.
Rather, Petty said it’s about what the donors do for them and the opportunity to put smiles on kids’ faces as they enjoy the Victory Junction experience.
“It’s what they do for us,” Petty said. “It’s different. It’s not, ‘Look what we did for them,’ it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, we got to ride motorcycles and look what they do for us.’ They put life in perspective. They just make everything and all your troubles go away. You look at these kids; their lives are different in different ways. They power through it. They don’t complain, they don’t whine. They just get up in the morning, thankful to be here, thankful to go do their stuff, and that’s the way we all should be. I think we get a lot more from them.”
Victory Junction was founded by Petty in 2004 in honor of his late son, Adam, who tragically perished in a NASCAR practice crash at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in May 2000.
While Petty doesn’t forget, he believes some may not remember that Adam was just a kid when he died at the age of 19, only a few years older than some of the kids who come to Victory Junction.
Sprint was one of Adam’s sponsors during his racing career, which Petty explained were telecommunications at the time, and had a system where they “hooked up” hospitals all over the country.
This provided an opportunity for kids in a hospital in Kansas City, for instance, to talk to a kid in a Los Angeles hospital over the internet about what they were going through, which made for a great avenue for kids to talk with other kids about similar struggles they endure.
With Sprint as his sponsor, Kyle said Adam had been around those kids for some time, which eventually gave Adam the idea to build a camp.
However, life gets in the way, Kyle said, and they go back to racing.
But when Adam’s fatal accident happened, the camp was still there.
Victory Junction was a perfect way for Kyle to carry on his son’s legacy as he sees his late son in the smiles of many of the kids who enjoy the camping experience, and it’s that fulfillment that brings him back every year.
“For me, having lost a son, I can look at these kids and think about their parents and empathize with their parents,” Petty said. “I can say, ‘I understand what you live with every day. I understand what you think about. I understand your fears.’ At the same time, I look at these kids and every one of them has a kid’s smile on their face. I call it Adam’s smile. When I see that smile on these kids’ faces, I know Adam is still here and he’s still with me and he’s still a part of this camp. That’s what motivates you to keep doing it.”
