Paul Gross is an activist that mixed a way to pay back hospitals for a job well done with his love of supercross. The Inside Line Experience, raising money in Toronto for SickKids is his second project, and if the first was any indication, its going to be a great fundraiser and great supercross experience for donors. We checked in with Paul about a week after the news about The Inside Line Experience was announced for an update interview:
Q: Paul, first of all, how has the The Inside Line Experience fund raising worked out in terms of meeting your goals?
A: It has been going great. There are some great stories out there like this mx’ing kid who is 8 and has risen over $1300 to help out another motocrosser’s kid (mine). I’m hearing other stories like this too. Some of the magazines have been awesome with support like free ads and individual efforts to promote the Inside Line on their website and with other motocross enthusiasts and clubs. Ticketmaster did an auction for a pair of passes that raised $640. I will try to Ebay a few in the last week too. And I have a few big donors who will probably push us close to our goals but we never know until it is over if we make our financial goals. The feel good aspects of this charity drive work out marvelously. You should see the kids at the hospital light up when they meet the likes of Ricky Carmichael or Chad Reed.
Q: What pro riders are confirmed this time? Are Carmichael and Reed in?
A: Ricky and Chad are committed. They both did it last season in Seattle . They were great and very generous with their time. We are hoping for some other top riders to commit but you will have to look for the official announcements from Live Nation.
Q: How did your group, MX for Children, select the Sick Kids Hospital as a project, aren't you from Seattle ?
A: My son William has a condition called hydrocephalus which is characterized by excessive fluid build up in the brain. More than 1 million people suffer from hydrocephalus in North America yet there is no known cure and very little research into this brain condition. The quality of life for kids with hydrocephalus can be pretty poor. SickKids is one of the most advanced pediatric centers for treating hydrocephalus and two of its neurosurgeons are participating in a nascent clinical research network to try to improve treatment and outcomes for kids with hydrocephalus. My wife and I are on a drive to raise awareness and research funding for hydrocephalus and hence the synergy with SickKids. (My wife arranged for a hydroplane to be up at Seattle Children’s Hospital during Seafair and we got coverage on all the major networks. We are going to great lengths!)
Q: So is this your second big fundraiser with supercross? And will there be more?
A: This is my second and we are planning a third in conjunction with Seattle Supercross that has the same format as last year – the Inside Line Experience pledge drive, a Suzuki raffle and a silent auction at Renton Motorcycles. I have been contacted by a number of people wanting to organize the Inside Line Experience in their city, but we (MX for Children and Live Nation) are taking it one step at a time. In my grand vision, Supercross would adopt the local Children’s Hospital in every city and the factory teams would compete in fundraising with their fan base to benefit that hospital. I think it would create tremendous goodwill for the industry and fans as well as putting a smile on a lot of kids’ faces.
Q: What got you into organizing fund raisers for sick children with a supercross theme?
A: I got into motocross as part of a mid life crisis. I got laid up (separated shoulder) shortly there after. I started to watch the sport on TV and got addicted. And then my son was born prematurely and went through a ton of trauma at our local children’s hospital. During his stay, while I was exchanging 24 hour shifts with my wife, I started brainstorming ways to give back to the hospital that saved his life. I borrowed much of the format for what is the Inside Line Experience from a program that Don Kitch (car racing pro) and Team Seattle does at 24 hours at Daytona. I pitched it to Denny Hartwig at Live Nation and he thought it was a great idea. He has been instrumental in making it happen.
Q: Do you have a favorite moment from the hospital visit in Seattle (cute kid stories)?
A: There are two great stories from my perspective. First, is the story of one of the Inside Liners – a 2.5 year old boy named Casey – who is a huge Ricky Carmichael fan. His mom saw my flyer and told him there was a chance to meet Ricky Carmichael. He wanted to give his “birthday money” to the cause to meet Ricky. And then he and his mom proceeded to fundraise as a team so that he could get this experience. He raised $805 and he is the kid pictured sitting on Ricky’s lap on my website. Ricky was great with him especially given that Ricky doesn’t have kids (yet). The second story happened when the racers were in the child life playroom. Chad Reed and Ivan Tedesco were playing pool with this 10 year old boy. After a while he asked Chad if he shot hoops. Chad said yes. And then the kid whispered “I’ve got trophies.” He proceeded to trounce Chad and Ivan in Nerf basketball. It was a real joy to watch. Again, the guys did great with this visit and the kids were thrilled.
Q: What do you think the riders think about visiting kids in hospitals once they do it one time?
A: I heard really good feedback the first time. I think there was a bit of trepidation especially when we went to the cancer floor. We met with a lot of very sick kids. In some cases we needed to “gown up” just to protect the kids. There were some awkward moments. But when, for example, Chad starting asking some kid about the video games he plays and they shared favorites, the kid really lit up. He had been in the hospital for months and he had a smile from ear to ear. The guys all said that they felt really good about it.
Q: Hey if I win a spot on one of those Inside Line Experiences, can I ask a question in the press conference?
A: I’m sure Denny will let you take pics, but ask questions ? – that is another story! At this press conference, the Inside Liners won’t be able to ask questions because it is a more formal press conference. While it is not planned, we will have to see how it goes with the press and the timing of the afternoon. In Seattle , we do a format where the press and the Inside Liners are mixed together asking the riders questions.
Q: For the people that get an Inside Line afternoon, what kinds of things will they most likely remember the most?
A: I think there are several things that make it memorable. The meet and greet time is unlike anything that people experience in the pit party. Here they can get pictures that they can take away with them, autographs and very frank conversations. For example, Ricky was very candid with some fans about the tight season standing coming into Seattle . I think it was very personable and down to earth of him. Not having the cameras around made for a very real experience. Chad was open about his injuries (shoulder) and his training. The track walk did not happen for everyone last year because of the rain. I got to do it and I was blown away by how steep the jump faces were and how deep the whoops were. I wasn’t wearing sneakers and I had to get a running start to get up some of the faces. And I know that some people had awesome experiences in the rig tour – real red carpet treatment. I also think that watching the race after meeting those guys changes the experience of Supercross.
Q: Thanks and good luck, keep us posted.
