Riders for Health, the official charity of MotoGP™, raised $38,000 last weekend at its annual fundraiser at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. This unique, day-long event hosted by grand prix legend and co-founder of Riders for Health, Randy Mamola, began with a beautiful motorcycle tour of Carmel Valley and stop at the Robert Talbott winery. Participants returned to Mazda Raceway for a delicious catered lunch.
 
Always a highlight of the day, the pit and paddock tour led by Randy Mamola gave attendees the chance to meet some of the current crop of MotoGP talent. Randy de Puniet, Michele Pirro, and James Ellison all made appearances, while Nicky Hayden and Ben Spies took group photos with the participants. The Yamaha garage offered the special treat of warming up Jorge Lorenzo’s and Ben Spies’ bikes for the group. In addition, the lucky fans then took parade laps of the famous Mazda Raceway circuit led by Mamola.
 
Day of Stars concluded with an amazing live auction of MotoGP memorabilia. Several MotoGP riders came out to greet the crowd and to autograph unique memorabilia. The auction, which is open to the public with free admission, drew a record number of spectators.  Notable auction items included a Tissot watch signed by many MotoGP stars, a winner’s choice of photographer Scott Jones’ prints of Nicky Hayden to be signed by the rider, and an LCR Honda Paddock Experience with a garage tour and opportunity to meet the team.  All auction proceeds go to Riders for Health.
 
Special thanks goes to DORNA, MotoGP, MazdaRaceway, Robert Talbott, past and present MotoGP riders who attended, and all the volunteers who made the event a success.  Support from the motorcycle community in the USA helps Riders for Health to save lives. In 2011, supporters at motorcycling events across the world raised hundreds-of-thousands of dollars for Riders helping them to provide access to health care for millions for people in Africa.