craigdailypress.com

What do two NASCAR racers, a Heisman Trophy winner and a PGA tournament golfer have in common? They all will be in Craig at about 2:30 p.m. Monday at the west Kum & Go, 1302 W. Victory Way.

Racers Kyle Petty and Harry Gant will be joined by football legend Herschel Walker and pro golfer Davis Love, III, when the Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America stops in rural Northwest Colorado.

The event is free and open to the public, and Petty and the others plan to set aside time to meet with fans and sign autographs, said Hayley Hutchins, a spokesperson for the event. Craig is one stop in a national trek from Stevenson, Wash., to Greensboro, N.C., during eight days.

Organizers hope to raise money and awareness for Victory Junction - a camp for chronically ill children founded by Petty - and other children's charities.

Craig residents may contribute through the ride's "Small Change. Big Impact." program, which accepts donations at pit stop locations. Since the ride's inception in 1995, about 6,100 participants have logged more than 7.9 million cumulative motorcycle miles and donated more than $12 million to various children's causes, a news release states.

The annual event means a lot to Petty, and this year's ride has a particular importance.

"This is a big year for the Charity Ride family," Petty said in the release. "Not only are we celebrating the 15th anniversary of the ride, we're also breaking ground on a second Victory Junction that will provide life-changing opportunities for even more deserving children and their families."

The riders also will spend Monday night in Steamboat Springs for one of eight overnight stops before reaching North Carolina. Residents there have been invited to start "dream teams," which raise money on their own.

In 2008, dream steams raised an additional $40,000 for Victory Junction and other charities, according to the release.