Sisters, start your engines!

Rev up your engines, Run with the Nuns is back! The annual event hosted by CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Health System is gearing up for another ride to raise money for local kids.

The guided motorcycle ride will be held April 28 at The Stage at Silver Star Smokehouse in Bossier City and will benefit the 17 Children’s Miracle Network Hospital programs at CHRISTUS including Cara Center, NICU and Kids Clinic. This is the 11th year for the event that includes breakfast, a religious medal, biker blessing, a two-hour guided motorcycle ride and lunch. Local children served by the CMN Hospital programs will be there to send the bikers off on their ride.

“We heard our committee members and moved this event to the spring so that more motorcyclists could join us, and we are excited about holding the event at Silver Star Smokehouse,” Amy Heron, executive director for the CHRISTUS Foundation Shreveport-Bossier, said. “We are looking forward to a great ride, good food and making a difference for local kids!” Registration and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. followed by the blessing of the bikes at 9 a.m. and the guided ride at 9:30 a.m. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. and festivities wrap up at 1:30 p.m. A chance auction is available on the Foundation’s website (www. christusfoundationsb.com) will also be available at the event. A 50/50 split the pot will go on throughout the event as well. Gayle Smith-Pearce has been on the planning committee of Run with the Nuns since its inception, and loves the ride, nuns and meeting the children impacted from the annual event.

“As an avid motorcycle rider, I love the ride, but I also love to mingle with all the people that attend every year, and meet new friends—especially the nuns,” Pearce said. “My favorite part is seeing the smile on the children’s’ faces when they come out to look at and sit on the motorcycles. It just doesn’t get any better than that!” Rhonda Hagan is new to the CHRISTUS family and Run with the Nuns event but not to the motorcycle community. She and her husband enjoy riding motorcycles, and she is excited that with this event she can do what she loves while helping local kids. Hagan is the nurse manager for the progressive care unit and the newest Run with the Nun committee member.

“When I accepted the nurse manager position, I remember hearing about being a part of different community events, and I prayed that this would be one of them,” Hagan said. “The motorcycle community enjoys coming together and riding for a cause. It makes what we love to do even better. The fact that this particular ride helps kids in this community just makes it even more special. Riders will come together for any and every one in need. It is truly a special community of people. I’m sure everyone knows someone that has used one of the many CMN Hospital programs this ride helps, and I encourage everyone to come out and support this amazing fund-raiser.”

Run with the Nuns raises money for the CMN Hospital programs at CHRISTUS that help babies, kids and teens in the Shreveport- Bossier community and has been a big fundraiser for the past 11 years.

“We are grateful to the motorcycle community for their support of our children’s programs year after year,” Amy Heron said. “Every year I am proud of the dollars that we are able to provide the CMN Hospital programs so that they can continue their crucial services in keeping children healthy and safe.”

Proceeds have helped fund several projects to include new NicView cameras in the NICU ($60,000); VSR Sport Portable Balance System concussion assessment machine ($35,000); climbing walls at CHRISTUS Kids Clinic and CHRISTUS Kids Gyms in Shreveport and Bossier ($12,000).

To register for Run with the Nuns, visit www.runwiththenuns.com or call 681-6781.

–Jordan Harris

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Pre-registration tickets are $40 and include breakfast, religious medal, guided ride, lunch and a shirt through April 26. Nonrider tickets are $25 and include breakfast, lunch and a shirt through April 26. After April 26, tickets are $40 for riders and $25 for non-riders and will not include a shirt.