Fighting Childhood Leukemia One Race at a Time

NorCal Love Series comes to Santa Clara, benefit event for Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital

Event Details:
NorCal Love Series Finals
Sunday, March 11, 11am to 2pm
Santa Clara P.A.L. BMX track, 5451 Lafayette St, Santa Clara
Free and open to the public

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 8, 2012 – This Sunday (11), Santa Clara P.A.L. BMX will play host to the finals of the first annual NorCal Love Series. The event is put on by Luke’s Lemons, in partnership with the Santa Clara Police Activities League, and is scheduled to run from 11am to 2pm.

Members of the northern California BMX community have come together to organize this exciting pro-am racing series and fundraiser in honor of Luke O’Moore of Los Gatos, an 8-year-old BMX enthusiast who is battling childhood leukemia. The effort is designed to raise awareness and support for pediatric cancer research at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, where Luke is receiving treatment.

“This event is a wonderful example of a community coming together around a great cause and showing love for one of their own,” says Luke’s father, Fergal O’Moore. “Luke and his brother are thrilled to combine their love for BMX racing with an opportunity to raise money to help other children overcome cancer.”

The five-race series has included:

Race #1 – Saturday, March 3 – Napa (North Bay BMX)
Race #2 – Saturday, March 3 – Roseville (Oak Creek BMX)
Race #3 – Sunday, March 4 – Manteca (Spreckles Park BMX)
Race #4 – Saturday, March 10 – Prunedale (Manzanita Park BMX)
FINALS – Sunday, March 11 – Santa Clara (Santa Clara P.A.L. BMX)

Sunday’s event is free and open to the public. Luke and his brother, Cian, will open the festivities with a ceremonial flag lap. Also included will be live performances by Bay Area bands Oddly Even and Orangutang, and an exhibition race featuring some of California’s top professional racers. BMX racing, now an Olympic sport, is fast and exciting with jumps, thrills, and occasional spills.

Individuals may choose to support Luke’s Lemons’ efforts by making outright donations or by purchasing raffle tickets or commemorative t-shirts and merchandise. All proceeds from the event will benefit cancer research at Packard Children’s. Donations may also be made online at www.lukeslemons.org.

Generous sponsors of the NorCal Love Series include West Side BMX, Monkeybars, LDC BMX, VSI/Intense BMX, Go Big Graphix, Troy Lee Designs, Fly Racing, Jump Sport, Hyper Bicycles, Felt Bikes, Tangent Products, Anderson’s 209 BMX, Bandit Racing of Dublin, Calabazas Cyclery, 7 Star Bar & Grill, Nick Gianinni, Allied Exhaust, Jump2Jump, Powerhouse Sales and Marketing, and RJ Bean Roofing.

About Luke’s Lemons

Luke’s Lemons of Los Gatos raises awareness and support for pediatric cancer research at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. When Luke and his brother, Cian, decided to sell lemonade to help find a cure for leukemia, they thought big. Rather than reach passers-by on the street, they came up with the idea of creating unique digital art prints, with a theme of Lemons for Leukemia. Each month, original artwork by Luke, Cian, and guest artists is posted online for sale. All proceeds are directed to support leukemia research conducted at Packard Children’s under the direction of pediatric oncologist Gary Dahl, MD. For more information, please visit www.lukeslemons.org.

About Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital is annually ranked as one of the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, and is the only San Francisco Bay Area children’s hospital with programs ranked in the U.S. News Top Ten. The 311-bed hospital is devoted to the care of children and expectant mothers, and provides pediatric and obstetric medical and surgical services in association with the Stanford University School of Medicine. Packard Children’s offers patients locally, regionally, and nationally a full range of health care programs and services, from preventive and routine care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illness and injury. For more information, please visit www.lpch.org.