The combination of a roll of the dice and motorcycle ride equals a Dice Run.

On Oct. 25, the Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center will sponsor the 4th Annual Motorcycle Dice Run to benefit the Child Advocacy Center, and all bikers and riders are invited to participate.

“We are expecting the same great participation that we have had the last two years when we’ve had 100 participants,” said Mona Watson, center director. “We have a great 90-mile route, from Troy to Brundidge to Union Springs to Banks and back to the Half Shell in Troy for lunch, compliments of the restaurant, and the awards presentations.

“The dice will be rolled at all five stops, and the biker with the highest total will be the winner of the $250 prize money. There will also be a 50-50 draw and other opportunities for prizes. The Dice Run is a lot of fun and bikers have a chance to win a cash prize and support a very worthy cause.”

The 2008 Motorcycle Dice Run will get under way at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 25 at Ward’s Yamaha in Troy. Registration will begin at 8:30 for those who have not pre-registered. Those wishing to pre-register may do so on site at Ward’s or the Child Advocacy Center on West Orange Street in Troy or by calling 566-3942, 807-0747 or 670-0487.

The registration fee is $20 for bikers and $10 for riders.

Motorcycle Dice Run tee shirts are $12 each and are available to those who would like to support the Child Advocacy Center whether they participate in the Motorcycle Dice Run or not. Shirts may be purchased by calling 670-0487.

Watson said a few shirts will be available the day of the run.

The funds raised from the dice run will be used for the CAC’s child abuse prevention programs in the local schools.

“We take our prevention message to second-, fifth- and seventh-grade students in the county and to children who are referred to us as at-risk because of behavioral problems at school in an effort to get them on the right track,” Watson said. “Our community outreach program is so important because child abuse is a very serious problem in Alabama and in Pike County.

“In the past fiscal year, in Alabama alone, 2,000 interviews were conducted regarding sex abuse allegations and 200 interviews (were) right here in Pike County.”

Watson said child abuse knows no boundaries and crosses all racial and socio-economic lines.

“Our main emphasis is on prevention,” she said. “We want to stop child abuse before it starts. We have taken the prevention message to 2,500 students in our local schools and we offer parenting programs designed to help parents protect their children from child abuse and for those whose children have been abused.”

Because the Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit organization, Watson said it must depend on donations, fund-raisers and grants to operate.

“Times are hard right now and money is tight but we’re not going to slow down,” she said. “We’re just going to work harder to raise the money that we need to keep our programs going. So, we invite everyone who has a bike or likes to ride along to join us for the 4th Annual Motorcycle Dice Run.”