Florida Motorcycle Dealers Association

The late Bruce Rossmeyer was even more excited than usual about plans for this year's mammoth motorcycle ride to raise money for the children at Camp Boggy Creek.

For one thing, it will be the 15th annual Ride for Children, so the motorcyclists rumbling out of Destination Daytona on Sunday will mark a small anniversary for the big ride to the Lake County camp.

For another, the ride is cruising toward the $4 million mark in money raised since it began in 1994 to benefit Camp Boggy Creek, a place where children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses have fun and play games with children with similar illnesses at no charge to their families.

But Rossmeyer died in a motorcycle crash July 30 in Wyoming while riding to the Sturgis, S.D., biker rally.

Rossmeyer's son, Will, and four daughters, Mandy, Wendy, Randy, and Shelly, will take their father's place at the front of the motorcycle parade.

"This year is going to be a little bit different because my dad has always led it," Will Rossmeyer, vice president of Daytona Harley-Davidson, said in a recent phone interview.

Bruce Rossmeyer's wife, Sandy, will ride with her 11 grandkids in a support vehicle.

Will Rossmeyer said his 66-year-old father used to say to him that the camp was a refuge for the children.

"This was a place they would come and be kids," Will Rossmeyer, 38, said. "They didn't have to worry about someone saying something about them or making fun of them. And I think that was where my dad fit in because he was the biggest kid of all. These kids would come up and hug him and tears would come out of his eyes."

His father would say that the camp brings joy to children who have been less fortunate in life.

"He used to always tell my sisters and I: 'You all are all right. You have your fingers, your toes. You have a roof over your head. These kids are sick. And you don't know how long they are going to be with us,' " Will Rossmeyer said.

So far, about 600 people have registered for the Ride for Children, said ride spokeswoman Beverly Marshall. Including passengers, that translates to about 400 motorcycles, leaving room for another 600 bikes, she said.

"The whole idea is to sell it out at a thousand bikes," she said.

Registration numbers are close to last year at this time when about 800 bikes were in the parade, she said. There is usually a "good push" boosting those numbers as the ride nears, she added.

All those motorcycle riders will be escorted by 60 to 80 police officers and deputies on motorcycles from across the state, although the largest contingents are from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office and Daytona Beach police.

Bruce Rossmeyer was among 11 camp founders, individuals who contributed at least $1 million to the $23 million camp, which opened in 1996. He served on the board of Camp Boggy Creek.

"We miss him," Marshall said. "We miss him greatly and I know he would like to see this continue."

Other founders include actor Paul Newman and Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf.

Will Rossmeyer said camp officials asked his father about putting together a motorcycle ride to benefit the camp.

"My dad just picked it up and ran with it," he said. "It started off as just a little motorcycle ride. My dad ran with it and committed his heart and his time to the camp."