Black Mountain, NC (5/7/2014) -Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families situated in the beautiful hills of Black Mountain, North Carolina held a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday, April 7 to dedicate their new Live to Ride National Youth Project Using Minibikes (NYPUM) Shop for off-road motorcycles. Prior to the ribbon cutting, Debi Bartosek, Jody Bateman, Ed Bartosek and David and Traci Eller were given a tour of the campus of BMH by President, Tom Campbell.
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Many of the NYPM riders & company sponsors were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the National Youth Project Using Minibikes (NYPUM) Shop at the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families
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The Live to Ride workshop was built by Makson Incorporated under the leadership of David Eller in memory of pro motocross rider, Matt Bartosek #88. The shop features memorabilia from youth, pro-am, and pro riders in ATV racing. It also provides storage for riding equipment, a conference room, as well as a place for the riders to work on their bikes.
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The National Youth Project Using Minibikes (NYPUM) Shop has a garage for riding equipment & working on bikes. The shop also features a classroom where youth can learn about the sport
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There were several sponsors who made this addition possible including, Makson and David Eller; “88 Live to Ride” Foundation and Debi Bartosek (read more below); Tennoca – Brad and Tim Goodson; Samson Corporation and Phil Parker; American Honda Motor Company; NYPUM Directors and Instructors (read more below); MR Motorcycle; SSi Decals; and Derek Olson Photography. After the ceremony, the invited guests, BMH board members and staff enjoyed refreshments while they visited with students and toured the building.
The weekend prior to the dedication the JB Racing Teams hosted several of the youth from BMH, who were either currently participating in the NYPUM program or had already graduated from it, for a day of ATV motocross racing at the Muddy Creek national event. A shout out to Victory Sports for graciously giving the youth and staff from BMH gate passes and also to MotoTees for allowing each of them to pick out an event t-shirt as a keepsake. As the day came to a close the thank you’s were plentiful for a fun filled day.
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The JB Racing Team hosted several NYPUM Almni & current participants to check out the Mtn. Dew ATV Motocross Racing Series Round 2 at Muddy Creek MX
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In 2003, Matt Bartosek died while competing at the inaugural ATV Winter Olympics. Matt had earned two overall championships in the 90cc modified class (1998, 1999) and was part of the 2nd place pro team in the first ever ATV 12 Hours of America. Matt received the title of “Most Feared Youth Rider of the Year” by ATVSport in 1999 and was also awarded the coveted Randy Howard Memorial Award for Sportsmanship in 2000. At the time of Matt’s death, his parents began a permanent endowment in his name at the Erie Community Foundation in Erie, PA to celebrate his life and his passion for racing. In 2005, with the support of family and friends, and the racing community, 88 Live to Ride, Inc. was formed to advocate and support the protection, education, and safety of riders involved in motorcycle and ATV racing events.
For more information about 88 Live to Ride, visit www.88livetoride.com/
The National Youth Project Using Minibikes (NYPUM) along with Honda creates a way to engage youth in the challenging outdoor sport of riding off-road motorcycles. NYPUM also provides a mentoring program that guides and supports youth to make good decisions while participating in exciting activities. Their mission includes encouraging regular school attendance, promoting environmental awareness, fostering community involvement, developing safe riding skills, diverting youth from the juvenile justice system, and developing responsible citizenship.
For more information about the NYPUM, visit www.nypum.org/
About 88 Live To Ride:
The mission of 88 Live to Ride, Inc. is to advocate and support the protection, education and safety of riders involved in ATV racing events.
