WARWICK — Revving Up for Kids, the third annual Station Education Fund Motorcycle Charity Ride, will be held Sunday, and officials are hoping it’s
the biggest turnout yet. The ride is the major fund-raiser for The Station Education Fund, a nonprofit organization set up to provide resources for the 76 children who lost parents in the deadly 2003 fire that killed 100 people. The owners of the club, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, along with Jody King, a longtime friend of the Derderians who lost his brother, Tracey, in the fire, organized the fund as a way to give back. Since the fund was launched three years ago, the organizers have made “good progress” on addressing the educational needs of the children, said King, of the fund. They’ve provided money for laptop computers, summer school courses, college textbooks and school clothes for the students who have applied. At least one student has been accepted and is considering using a Station Fire scholarship to attend one of seven partner schools, such as Johnson & Wales or Bryant University, that are offering funds or discounted services to students through the education fund. The ride starts at Toll Gate High School in Warwick and ends in Plainfield, Conn., at Motorsports Nation (formerly Excalibur Powersports). At the end of the 76.8-mile ride, participants will be treated to barbecue, music and a professional motorcycle stunt show. More than $2,000 worth of donated prizes will also be raffled off during the celebration. On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the ride begins at 9:30 a.m. Last year, more than 400 motorcyclists participated in the event.