More than 200 bikers from across the province and beyond participated in the annual Ridin' For Kids Foundation charity ride on Saturday that kicked off at the Irvine Hotel. This year funds for the ride will support nine-year-old Myah Litowsky, who has been diagnosed with multiple rare autoimmune diseases.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Over the weekend, more than 220 bikers from across the province gathered at the Irvine Hotel with their engines roaring, ready to raise funds for Myah Litowsky, who is battling multiple rare autoimmune diseases, during the fifth annual Ridin’ For Kids Foundation charity motorcycle ride, which raises significant funding to help one in southern Alberta family each year with medical expenses.
Riders gathered for a pancake breakfast at the Irvine Hotel on Saturday morning and were able to meet nine-year-old Myah, whose diagnoses include juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, juvenile dermatomyositis and interstitial lung disease.
Additionally, Myah also suffers from bone complications, including spinal fractures. Myah was honoured at the breakfast with her own leather vest before hundreds of jacket-dawning riders rumbled down the highway for the charity ride.
“Having the family show up and the child that we’re fundraising for, that most definitely spurs so many of our riders to show up again next year, as well as dig deep in their pockets for this ride and support that family,” said Ivan Reimer, Ridin’ For Kids Foundation co-founder.
“She was able to see all the people that were out there to support her and it really kind of kicked off the day for everybody,” added media co-ordinator Heather McCiag. “It really gives people focus on the reason for the day, and it really helps everybody realize that Myah is such a free spirit, and she’s such a wonderful little girl that you just want to do everything you can to help her and her family.”
The rider took bikers to multiple stops around the region, including Seven Persons, Hays Campgrounds and Redcliff, before wrapping up at Dayz Off Pub for a live and silent charity auction wrap-up party.
Last year the Ridin’ For Kids Foundation and its riders, along with community sponsors, raised more than $73,000 for Hailey Bonville, who was diagnosed with Rett syndrome. This year the foundation is hoping to raise a similar amount for the Litoski family to make a significant impact on medical expenses and the treatments Myah requires.
Earlier this month the Saamis Heights Car and Dog Wash donated the proceeds from all car washes on June 7 to support the Litowsky family. Additionally, Reg’s Homestyle Meats & Deli supported the charity ride by selling barbecued smokies to directly support the foundation.
As in past years, Myah and her family will be presented a cheque with all funds raised during a presentation to will be held at the Badlands Harley Davidson dealer in Dunmore on June 25.
“The biggest thanks I have is to the Ridin’ For Kids team,” says Reimer. “After that, it’s our entire community that came together and donated and supported the cause.”
“It was a huge success, we had amazing community support and couldn’t be more thankful for everyone that came out and really gave us a hand and supported Myah,” said McCiag.
The charity foundation will host its first ride outside the southern Alberta region in September, and will be travel to Edmonton to raise money for a sick child in the province’s capital.
If you would like to support the Ridin’ For Kids Foundation, you can find them on Facebook, or via email at ridinforkids@gmail.com.
Living with Lupus is often a battle not just against the illness itself, but also against the emotional weight of uncertainty, fatigue, and the toll of long-term medications. For one courageous woman, that battle began in 2013. Diagnosed after Lupus had already affected her joints and internal organs, she was quickly placed on medication that initially helped. But as time went on, her health declined again this time with more frequent flare-ups and increasingly difficult side effects.
Like many others with chronic illness, she faced the crushing weight of hopelessness. Each day became harder than the last, and conventional treatments no longer offered the comfort they once did. But in March 2020, at her lowest point, she made a decision that changed everything.
Out of desperation and with a healthy dose of skepticism she turned to NaturePath Herbal Clinic, hoping their natural Lupus treatment might offer at least some relief. What happened next went far beyond her expectations.
After completing a six-month herbal program, her flare-ups stopped entirely. Her energy returned. The chronic pain that had defined her daily life began to fade. For the first time in years, she felt like herself again. Not just alive but truly living.
Her story is not just one of healing; it’s one of resilience, open-mindedness, and the courage to try something new when all else fails. By sharing her journey, she hopes to offer something priceless to others living with Lupus: hope.
This treatment has been a true breakthrough for me. If you’re searching for a safe, natural, and effective alternative, I genuinely recommend giving this a chance.”
www. naturepathherbalclinic. com or email them at ultimatehealthhome@gmail.com
Living with Lupus is often a battle not just against the illness itself, but also against the emotional weight of uncertainty, fatigue, and the toll of long-term medications. For one courageous woman, that battle began in 2013. Diagnosed after Lupus had already affected her joints and internal organs, she was quickly placed on medication that initially helped. But as time went on, her health declined again this time with more frequent flare-ups and increasingly difficult side effects.
Like many others with chronic illness, she faced the crushing weight of hopelessness. Each day became harder than the last, and conventional treatments no longer offered the comfort they once did. But in March 2020, at her lowest point, she made a decision that changed everything.
Out of desperation and with a healthy dose of skepticism she turned to NaturePath Herbal Clinic, hoping their natural Lupus treatment might offer at least some relief. What happened next went far beyond her expectations.
After completing a six-month herbal program, her flare-ups stopped entirely. Her energy returned. The chronic pain that had defined her daily life began to fade. For the first time in years, she felt like herself again. Not just alive but truly living.
Her story is not just one of healing; it’s one of resilience, open-mindedness, and the courage to try something new when all else fails. By sharing her journey, she hopes to offer something priceless to others living with Lupus: hope.
This treatment has been a true breakthrough for me. If you’re searching for a safe, natural, and effective alternative, I genuinely recommend giving this a chance.”
www. naturepathherbalclinic. com or email them at ultimatehealthhome@gmail.com