We began the Ride for Life in 2006 to raise awareness for the silent epidemic of child sexual abuse and funds for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center. In the first ten years we raised over $50,000.00 to support the programs that BCAC offered free of charge to the victims of abuse and to their non-offending care givers. During those years we met so many survivors of CSA and many more who felt that they were still victims. By hosting the ride every year it showed those effected by abuse that they are not being forgotten, that we support them and that people did care and believe them.
Our goal with the RFL is to provide some comfort and support to the victims as they begin or continue on their journey of healing, which for many takes years to get on that road. For 18 years we have stood and rode by their side and will continue to do so.
In June of 2013 after the tragic rape and murder of 10 year old Kami Ring, we began to dedicate the ride in her memory and to remember all of the innocent children who suffered the same fate as Kami. On the first anniversary of her passing we attended the dedication ceremony for the newly created Kami’s Butterfly Garden at her elementary school in Charlestown, Maryland, which the Ride for Life supported in their fund-raising efforts.
In 2016, we began hosting a family fun day at St. Vincent’s in Timonium Maryland that houses over 70 children ages 6-13 who have become innocent victims of abuse or neglect. Finally the riders were able to meet the children that they ride for, together they enjoyed a cookout style lunch, games, music, moon bounces and pony rides. Both the riders and children enjoy spending time together and now the return of the Ride for Life every year is a day that the children and riders look forward to.
We Ride to Stop Child Sexual Abuse
Did you know….
- 95% of all victims know, love and trust their abuser
- Only 1 in 10 cases ever get reported
- Child abuse is reported every 10 seconds in the United States
- 3-4 children die each day in the US from abuse
- There are over 30,000 women, children and men forced into sexual slavery each year in the US
- An average serial molester may have as many as 400 victims in his/her lifetime
- An estimated 14,500 – 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the US each year
