Windham to open his Mississippi ranch to public for special charity event 1

CENTERVILLE, Miss. (Oct. 28) -- Supercross legend Kevin Windham has always been a man of the people. Now his legion of fans can find that out in person at the GEICO Motorcycle Kevin Windham and Friends "Ride for Chris" charity event at Windham's home in southern Mississippi.

The past world champion and multi-time winner is opening the gates of his property and inviting fellow dirt bike enthusiasts to take on his three private tracks alongside Windham himself as well as a huge group of former and current professionals. The event benefits the Road To Recovery charity with proceeds directly earmarked for the young family of Dirt Wurxs lead track builder Chris Blankenship, who recently lost his life in a racing accident.

"We've had various gatherings here at the ranch on and off for the past several years, but this one is extra special because we're trying to help out Chris' wife Crystal and their kids Macen and Kate," Windham said. "Chris was a special guy and a close personal friend to many of us. He built a lot of the tracks we've raced on over the years, including the three I have here at home. His family needs to feel the love, and we're going to do all we can to show them how much Chris meant to motocross.

"This is going to be a special event and I hope everyone comes out. We're going to ride around and have fun for two days, one day with all of our amateur friends, whoever wants to come out, and the second day we'll check out the pros tearing it up. I might even get in there and see if I can still ride with the pros. Then we're going to have a concert on the back 40 and enjoy ourselves."

Scheduled for Friday, Nov. 7, the amateur day is open to riders of all skill levels but will be capped at 500 participants, so interested parties are encouraged to sign up by Nov. 1 at (https://r2r.webconnex.com/partyinthepasture). There is plenty of parking at Windham's ranch. If interested riders miss the cutoff for online registration, they can sign up on-site the day of the event.

The pro day, slated for Saturday, Nov. 8, will feature many of Windham's current GEICO Honda teammates, including Justin Bogle, Matt Bisceglia, Jordon Smith, and R.J. Hampshire. Additionally, superstars like Davey Millsaps, Wil Hahn, Broc Tickle, Josh Grant, Tommy Hahn, Christian Craig, Brett Cue, Johnny Moore, and Matt Lemoine will be on hand.

Joining the Supercross pros will be Freestyle experts Mike Mason, Adam Jones, and "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram.

The GEICO Motorcycle Kevin Windham and Friends "Ride for Chris" charity event will include helicopter rides, various raffles, race car displays, karaoke contests, a massive bonfire, and a fireworks display.

The evening will be capped with a concert by country superstar Craig Morton, with Keith Anderson warming up the crowd.

"We're trying to have a little something for everyone, whether they ride or not," Windham said. "The main thing is to come together and have a good time with good friends, both new and old. I want this thing to be a huge success so we can help Crystal and the kids through this tough time."