NASCAR star Kyle Petty's Charity Ride making pit stop in Corbin.
May 2—CORBIN — Tri-County residents have a chance next week not only to meet a few sports legends but help raise money for kids in need.
The 28th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America will be making a pit stop at David's Steakhouse in Corbin Thursday, May 9, at 12 noon.
The Kyle Petty Charity Ride is an annual event where Petty and his cohorts drive across America to raise funds for Petty's camp for kids, Victory Junction.
Notable celebrities joining Petty on the 2024 ride include NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (Kyle's father) and Hershel McGriff; NFL great and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker; former NASCAR drivers Max Papis, David Ragan, Ken Schrader, and Kenny Wallace; and TV personalities Rick Allen and Rutledge Wood.
Victory Junction is a camp in Randleman, North Carolina that hosts seriously ill children. Petty founded the camp in 2004 to honor his late son Adam Petty who passed away in a tragic accident in 2000.
According to Petty, the camp has served over 115,000 children and families — providing them with a unique opportunity to experience the joys of summer camp that they would otherwise not be able to attend due to their medical needs.
No child nor family pays anything to attend the camp, despite a one week stay costing approximately $2,500.
In an interview, Petty emphasized the importance of the ride, saying "Any donation helps us with Victory Junction...This mission is so important to myself and all of the riders."
Petty said that approximately 150 to 200 riders would be making the journey this year, with paramedics and various state highway patrols joining in to keep the riders safe.
The 2024 ride begins Saturday in Deadwood, South Dakota, and ends at Victory Junction outside of Greensboro on May 10 — with stops in Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia.
"This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Victory Junction, so I immediately knew we had to bring the Ride back to camp to celebrate this incredible milestone. After all, the Ride has been there since Victory Junction's inception, as a founding supporter in 2004, and has remained the largest cumulative donor," Petty stated in a press release. "From riding the Black Hills of South Dakota and crossing the mighty Mississippi River to visiting iconic American landmarks, we are going to experience some truly incredible places on this year's Ride, but none more so than ending back 'home' at Victory Junction — where we can see so many deserving kids light up with happiness and experience the magic that lives at camp."
Petty also noted that they try to visit as many new places as possible each year and have taken many different routes to get back to North Carolina.
The charity ride started in 1995 and Petty plans to continue it in perpetuity.
Petty estimated that they would be at David's Steakhouse for an hour or two — giving everyone time to eat as well as to sign autographs and meet fans.
Petty also extended his thanks to the staff of David's Steakhouse, whom he said have been "extremely kind and supportive of what we are doing."
The ride is presented by Cox Automotive. Other sponsors for the event include Coca-Cola and Harley-Davidson.
