Kyle Petty Charity Ride will traverse the East Coast this year

   Kyle Petty's Charity Ride Across America won't stretch quite that far this year.

   The ride, which is schedule May 7 to 14, will consist of a trip down the East Coast. More than 175 drivers already are signed up and the group will begin in Lake Placid, N.Y., and conclude in Amelia Island, Fla.

   "What began as a few friends having a good time riding has turned into what we have today. Once we got started, we decided we needed to give back to the towns we rode through, so we started donating to children's hospitals along the way," Petty said. "The past few years though, it's really enabled us to make a difference at Victory Junction. We've built a water park and sent hundreds of kids to camp all because a bunch of people like to ride. It's pretty amazing to me."

   In addition to 28 total fuel stops, riders will make overnight visits in Corning, N.Y., Farmington, Pa., Irvington, Va., Wilmington, N.C., Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and Amelia Island, Fla. during their 2,400-mile trek down the East Coast. Celebrities scheduled to join for all or part of the trip include ESPN NASCAR analyst Brad Daugherty, former NFL great and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker and NASCAR driver and Bo-Dyn Olympic bobsled founder Geoff Bodine.

   Fans and spectators along the Charity Ride route may contribute through the Charity Ride's "Small Change. Big Impact." program, which accepts donations at pit stop locations. Fans may also follow Petty and the riders on several social media pages, including facebook.com/kpcharityride, twitter.com/kpcharityride, and twitter.com/kylepetty.

Since the Charity Ride's inception in 1995, 6,850 participants have logged more than 9.8 million cumulative motorcycle miles and donated more than $14 million to Victory Junction and other charities that support chronically ill children. The 2010 Charity Ride raised enough money to send 180 children to Victory Junction for a five-day session free of charge.