[American Motorcyclist Association] - Tom White opens motocross museum for charity ev

[Ninjette Newsbot]

AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Member Adopts High Hopes Head Injury Program

By Jim Witters

For Tom White, the Bikes & Burgers event he plans for May 31 represents a blending of his passion for motocross, his dedication to helping others and his love for his son, Brad.

White, an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame member, will be opening his private Early Years of Motocross Museum and his residence to people who pay $40 to $100 apiece to attend the event. The proceeds will benefit the High Hopes Head Injury Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation and retraining people who have been devastated by traumatic head injuries.

Brad White is one of those people. Bikes & Burgers, A High Hopes Head Injury Program event
When: May 31
Where: The Early Years Motocross Museum, Villa Park, Calif.
General Admission: $40
VIP tickets: $100 (VIP tickets include lunch, an event T-shirt, an MX Legends sheet for autographs and a guided tour of the museum and Tom White’s home.)

On Feb. 23, 1997, Brad, an 18-year-old senior in high school was riding a mini bike when a parking lot entrance chain crushed his larynx. A lack of oxygen caused Brad’s heart to stop before emergency room physicians were able to resuscitate him.

Brad was left unable to eat, talk or control his body. He was also blinded.

Brad attends the High Hopes Head Injury Program four days a week.

“I’m so excited to partner with the High Hopes for the first of what we hope will be an annual Bikes & Burgers SoCal event,” Tom White said. “High Hopes has helped improve the lives of thousands of adults that have incurred mild to severe head injuries from accidents. My son, Brad, is one of the unfortunate victims of traumatic brain injury, and High Hopes has been helping him for the last 17 years.”

White said occasional events in the past have opened the Early Years of Motocross Museum to 150 attendees.

“This new event format will use my entire four-acre property, with shuttle transportation from the local high school allowing up to 1,000 visitors,” he said.

In addition to tours of the museum and the Whites’ home, the event will feature a stage for introduction of motorcycling legends, such as Jeff Emig, Broc Glover, Mike Kiedrowski, Don Emde, Marty Tripes and Malcolm Smith.

The emcee is AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Larry Huffman.

Fox Racing; Yamaha Motor Corp., USA; Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA; and Glen Helen Raceway have stepped in as sponsors.

The museum’s collection consists of more than 150 motorcycles built for motocross, off-road, flat track, speedway, and dual sport use.

The larger of the two museum buildings holds 115 motocross bikes built from 1952 to 1991.

White said visitors’ most popular bikes include a 1969 Husqvarna 500cc Baja Twin, winner of the '69 Baja 1000; a 1968 Suzuki TM250 that was a limited production — 100 copies of the RH67 Works bike and the first Japanese MX machine.

“My favorite bikes are the '67 Greeves 250 and 360 Challengers, the first and the nearly the last in the collection and so influenced by my son Brad, as at 6 years of age he wanted me to buy the Greeves to restore together,” White said. “Visitors seem to like the historic machines based on their age, so when asked ‘ What is your favorite bike?’ they usually pick one that they best relate to from their early years in the sport.”

White summed it up this way:

“If you love motocross and want to see historic machines, enjoy exotic and classic cars, and hang out with motorcycling heroes … as Larry Huffman would say ‘Be There!’ ”

Below is a video in which Tom White explains the event and his family’s connection to High Hopes:





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