ALTON - The seventh annual Ride for Wishes will honor the event’s founder and longtime Make-A-Wish volunteer Norma Glazebrook.

“We wanted to make this event a celebration of Norma and her dedication to Make-A-Wish,” Jeanne Wuellner, ride chair, said. “She was Illinois’ longest-serving volunteer and granted more than 300 wishes in her 25 years with Make-A-Wish.” Glazebrook, an honored civic leader and volunteer, died on August 8. She was 89.

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The ride starts at noon Saturday, Sept. 18, at Ted’s Motorcycle World, 4103 Humbert Road in Alton, and ends at Alton VFW Post 1308 with an after-ride party and dinner.

Sign-up, with giveaways and free bagels, begins at 10 a.m. and leaves at noon for a 60-mile nonstop tour through Madison, Jersey, and Macoupin counties. All vehicles are welcome. In the past, dune buggies and hotrods have been welcome additions. The ride will be escorted by Illinois State Police motorcycle officers.

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The after-ride party at VFW Post 1308 includes dinner from Carver’s barbecue, contests, raffles, more giveaways, and a silent auction. There will also be a tribute to Glazebrook. The cost is $15 for a rider and $10 for a passenger. Participants can sign up early and be entered into a $100 drawing at Ride for Wishes Southern Illinois on Facebook.

Radio personality Trish Gazall from 102.5 KEZK Radio will be at Ted’s from 10 a.m. until the ride rolls out. Gazall, who’ll be handing out merchandise, is part of the fun thanks to GCS Credit Union, the ride’s Signature Sponsor for six years. GCS personnel will also be at Ted’s offering microfiber cleaning cloths and other premiums.

In eight years, the ride has raised more than $112,000 to make wishes come true for children facing serious illnesses. The ride is organized by the Southern Illinois Volunteers for Make-A-Wish, IL to help children battle such ailments as cystic fibrosis, brain tumors, and cancers. All money raised by the ride goes to help youngsters in Madison, Jersey, Calhoun, Macoupin, Greene, and St. Clair counties. The average wish costs about $6,000 in addition to in-kind donations by hotels, airlines, and similar donors.

“We couldn’t make wishes come true were it not for the support from our riders and our sponsors, especially our Signature Sponsor GCS Credit Union, which has been so generous,” Wuellner said.

To find out more about GCS Credit Union, visit myGCScu.com.

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