A record 15 motorcycle riders will join Columbus businessperson Scott Ressmeyer this year for the sixth "Scott's Ride for Miracles" to benefit Children's Miracle Network (CMN) at Midtown Medical Center. Once again, Ressmeyer and the riders will travel to the 48 contiguous states in 21 days, raising awareness of the outstanding work of Children's Miracle Network hospitals and raising funds for the Children's Hospital at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus, Ga. Today, Ressmeyer and 15 friends leave Midtown Medical Center for the trip. They will return May 23 to an enthusiastic crowd in Uptown Columbus.

Joining Ressmeyer, who is from Fortson, Ga., will be Rick Stinson, Brian Brock, Kevin Simms, James Leatherwood andBilly Edmundson, all of Columbus, Ga.; James Cole, Brad Hansen, David McNeil and Steve Tennant, from Midland, Ga.;Mike Jolley, Hamilton, Ga.; Mike Langford and Ken Tidwell from Cataula, Ga.; Gary McDowell, Manchester, Ga.; Mike Cunningham, Opelika, Ala.; and Ronnie Wilson, Salem, Ala.

In addition to taking time off work and funding all personal expenses associated with the ride including hotels, meals and gasoline, each of Scott's Miracle Riders is committed to raising at least $2,500 to participate in the nearly 9,000-mile trek across the United States.

The Miracle Riders plan to visit patients at several CMN hospitals along the way. They also will contribute to a blog to journal their experiences and will send daily videos of their travels. These will be posted to the websitewww.rideformiracles.com, where visitors may track their travels in real time, post messages of support and encouragement, and donate to CMN at Midtown Medical Center.

To date, Scott's Ride for Miracles has raised more than $650,000 to purchase equipment for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Children's Hospital at Midtown Medical Center. The ultimate goal is to raise $1 million over the course of the Ride.

The presenting sponsor for Scott's Ride for Miracles is Chattahoochee/Big Swamp Harley-Davidson. Other sponsors include Country's Barbecue, Neonatology Associates, TSYS, Aflac, Mercedes-Benz of Columbus, Uptown Columbus, Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Columbus Tape and Video.