 |
| Boo Benefit 2008 |
Click on the picture to see the picture album.
For the last few years we have gone to the Boo Benefit Annual Bike Rally for the Louisiana Burn Camp for Children (Camp I’m Still Me). This year over $200,000 was raised to help burn survivors! That is $50,000 more than last year. What a great event to support!
"The Boo Benefit Ride for Burn Survivors," commonly known as The Boo Run, draws people from all over interested in helping the Percy Johnson Foundation and Louisiana Burn Camp for Children.
Last year they registered 7,000 people with an overall attendance of 15,000, according to Boo’s wife Patsy Chaler, event organizer. This year they expected 18,000 in attendance. It was more like 30,000 folks in Jefferson, Texas. The streets were packed as you can see by the pictures. At last year's event, more than $170,000 was raised with all proceeds donated to the Percy Johnson Burn Foundation.
The benefit event began in October 1998 in response to the efforts of Charles "Boo" Chaler, a burn survivor. Boo Chaler was burned over 95 percent of his body in a welding accident earlier that year. Several friends knew of Boo's love for motorcycle riding and began the benefit in his honor while he was still hospitalized at Louisiana State University Burn Center in Shreveport.
Chaler and his wife Patsy donated the funds raised to the Percy Johnson Foundation and began a benefit to aid severely injured children and their families. In April 2002, the Chaler-Rods House was purchased by a grant from the Foundation to house out-of-town families of burn patients who cannot afford hotels for extended stays.
The Red River Street Rod Association and all my Street Rod friends are very much involved with the Louisiana Burn Camp and with The Boo Run. In fact they have been bringing the Boo Bike to my St. Jude Car show for the last few years and selling lots of tickets. So far I have not won the new Harley maybe next year.
The three-day event includes live music, a poker run, bike show, bike games, style show, and silent auctions and all the other bike activities that you expect and a few you don’t. So make your plans for next year. Book your rooms early. I always stay at the McKay House B & B.
For more information on The Boo Benefit Ride for Burn Survivors, call Boo or Patsy Chaler at 903-935-6005 or 903-930-4931, or visit the Web site at http://www.boobenefit.org/
