MONROE, Ga. - The roar of 106 motorcycles added an exclamation point to the success of the first Walton Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) Ride for Hope held Saturday, September 13.

Walton EMC employee volunteers hosted the ride at their Monroe headquarters to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life fundraising drive. The route covered 63 miles through the scenic countryside of the surrounding Georgia Piedmont on primarily rural back roads.

Kayla Evans, a ten-year old Gwinnett County girl battling brain cancer, served as honorary road captain. Her duties included giving the command for riders to start their engines and accompanying Walton County Sheriff Al Yarbrough, himself a cancer survivor, in the lead escort vehicle.

A bike show, barbecue lunch, 80 door prizes and a performance by the James Hunter Band rounded out the event. Ben Bridges of Watkinsville, noted motorcycle authority, served as emcee.

Participants included riders from all over North and Central Georgia as well as Alabama.

"We appreciate the overwhelming support of the motorcycle community for our Power of Hope Ride," said Walton EMC's Sherry Lowrance, chair of the event. "They show they care about others by giving their time and money to help find a cure for cancer. We're already talking about ways to make next year's ride even better."

Established in 1936, Walton EMC is a consumer-owned electric cooperative with 110,000 accounts in ten Northeast Georgia counties between Atlanta and Athens.

# # #