Race for Life raises more than $4,000 in the fight against cancer
Part of a 600-point weekend with tracks in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, Moses Lake BMX hosted its Race for Life event.
IAN BIVONA/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Riders of all ages had runs in the races, including these young riders participating in the striders race.
Moses Lake BMX raised just more than $4,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, surpassing their goal of $1,500.
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake BMX hosted its Race for Life event, part of a 600-point weekend with fellow BMX tracks in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene.
The event raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, with riders raising money on their own and pooling it together.
“The event turned out great,” Track Operator Jeff Niehenke said. “We had a great turnout; we raised a ton of money.”
The track had a goal of raising $1,500 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and more than doubled that goal.
“Our goal was $1,500 for the track, and we raised $4,027.”
Niehenke described the feeling of support as “incredible.”
“It’s incredible to exceed our goal by that much,” Niehenke said. “Each year we keep getting bigger and bigger, and it just shows how strong the BMX community is and how much we love each other.”
With the collaborated weekend with tracks in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, many riders came to Moses Lake from out of town.
“We do have quite a few riders from out of town for this, because it is a double points weekend,” Niehenke said. “I’m hoping a lot of riders go out and support the other tracks for their Race for Life as well.”
The races began at 7 p.m. in Moses Lake, with a brief intermission around 7:45 p.m. to honor the top donors. The Moberg family, with two sons Liam and Jayden, raised more than $1,300 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
“This is a great sport, and we just like to contribute as much as we can,” Callie Moberg said. “Race for Life is a passion for us, we just asked friends and family, and everyone was very supportive.”
“We’re having fun!” Liam said of the event.
The Race for Life is an annual event where BMX tracks across the country raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and was started in the 80s after a young BMX rider from Michigan was diagnosed with Leukemia. As of Saturday, the USA BMX Foundation had raised nearly $132,000, according to its fundraising website.
“We did what we do best, and that’s give back to the community and bring families and riders together for a family-oriented sport, where the kids can have fun and learn new skills,” Niehenke said.
Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.
