More than 500 snowmobile riders from around New England will take to the trails Saturday along Moosehead Lake in Greenville as part of the fifth annual Ricky Craven Charity Snowmobile Run. Last year, the event raised $84,000. This year five charities - The Children's Miracle Network, The Make-A-Wish-Foundation, the Travis Roy Foundation, The Marrow Foundation and The Give Kids the World Foundation, a charity new to the run dedicated to helping children with serious illnesses - are to be the recipients of the charity run.

Craven's mother, Nancy Craven, who received a bone marrow transplant in 1985, is one of the organizers of the event.

"It gives people a feeling of helping others while giving them a day of pleasure at the same time," said Nancy. "It is so overwhelming for me to give something back. The Marrow Foundation saved my life 17 years ago, when I went down to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. My part now is to give something back to the foundation and this is one way that I do that."

Ricky Craven, who won his first Winston Cup stock car race this year, will be on hand to talk with people, as will representatives from each of the five charities.

The cost to participate in the ride is $125. Participants are also free to raise money any way they can through individual or business pledges. Each year the Orland Consolidated School has conducted a penny drive. Last year, it raised $1,000. Jean Sargeant, the school's principal, organizes the penny drive and also runs the Ricky Craven Fan Club.

In addition to raising money, tons of prizes will be given away. The event will kick off with the singing of the national anthem and an opening address by Craven. There will be refreshments on the trail for snowmobile riders throughout the day. Check in begins at 7 a.m. at Greenville High School, with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Riders leave the high school beginning at 8:30 a.m. in groups of 50 and follow a trail that traverses the southeastern shore of Moosehead Lake. The trail is roughly 100 miles long and takes riders through some of the most beautiful country in the state of Maine.

"It's a good ride at a fairly slow pace of 25 or 30 miles an hour," said Joey Harris, a snowmobiler who took part in the very first Craven charity run in 1997. "It's great to be able to snowmobile and raise money for charity at the same time. All of those charities help people in need. It's very rewarding."

The event also helps to boost the local economy, according to Sara Holman, the executive director of the Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce.

"What better place to raise money for charity than Moosehead Lake," said Holman. "The town fills up that weekend and the ride also helps the businesses in the community of Rockwood, just 18 miles up the road. We love snowmobilers up here. They come to have fun and they are great people."

While the weekend of Jan. 26 is expected to be busy, every weekend is full of activity in the Moosehead Lake area, one of the most popular places to snowmobile in Maine. As long as there is snow, there is plenty of snowmobiling.

"We would financially die without the sleds," said Holman. "Before we got snow, I was talking with a restaurant owner last month who said business was off 40 percent. However, since we've gotten snow, things are booming again. Every weekend, the entire town of Greenville is just full of sleds. It's a wonderful sight."

Appeared in the Maine Sunday Telegram - 1/20/2002