COEUR d'ALENE - Almost 200 bikers fired up their motorcycles at Independence Point on Saturday morning to take part in the 19th annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America.

The week-long ride started its first leg in Coeur d'Alene at 8 a.m., and by nightfall the bikers will have made their way to dinner in Boise along Idaho's famed "Goat Trail," otherwise known as U.S. 95.

"When we were trying to decide this year's route, it was nearly unanimous that we start in Coeur d'Alene," said Kyle Petty, a former NASCAR racer and current racing analyst. "These guys come in from all over the country to take part in this event.

"A lot of them come in a week early, so we like to pick a nice place to start," he added.

The trip will end at a big party on May 3 in Tempe, Ariz., after bikers log more than 2,000 miles. The charity ride raises funds and awareness for what's called Victory Junction, a camp created to enrich the lives of children with chronic medical illnesses.

Participants in the ride pay a fee, half of which goes to help fund the trip, and the other half goes to the Victory Junction, Petty said.

Petty has a crew of medical personnel, mechanics and other support staff following along in a caravan of vehicles. They will stop at various locations and fundraising venues along the way.

Carolyn Canington, spokesperson for the event, said there are a variety of ways to donate to the fund. Donation information can be found online at www.kylepettycharityride.com

People can also follow the bikers in real time from a Twitter feed on the web page, Canington said.

Mike "Jasper" Dane, of Spokane Valley, and Chuck "Diver" Schraeder, of Coeur d'Alene, showed up with a dozen or more Combat Vet Riders to join Petty's group on the first leg of the race.

"It's a camaraderie thing," Schraeder said. "A lot of the kids at Victory Junction are children of veterans as well as kids in need. We like to support that."

Dane said the cost to send a child to the camp for a week is $2,500, which can be prohibitive for some families.

"Because of this ride many of those kids will get to go to camp for free," Dane added.

The camp was established in 2004 by the Petty family in honor of their late son, Adam. Since then, more than 7,650 children have attended Victory Junction at no cost to their families, thanks to the Kyle Petty Charity Ride.

That is what prompted Herschel Walker, former NFL great and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, to join the group of riders eight years ago.

Walker said he met Petty at an all-star race in 2005, and volunteered to join the ride.

"I am a collector of old cars and bikes, so this was a good fit," Walker said. "It's kind of funny, they asked me how far was the longest ride I'd been on, and up until then, I think it was only about 5 miles.

"This ride will be 2,100 miles," he said, chuckling. "I may get a little cold on this one too."

Walker said he keeps coming back year after year because of the camaraderie with other riders, and he strongly believes in the cause.

"A coach once told me, if you take something out of society, you have to put something back into it," Walker said, explaining his charity work. "I have been truly blessed. Whenever I have the time, I like to get out and do stuff like this."

Walker said he has really enjoyed his visit in Coeur d'Alene. He spent most of the week hanging out downtown and meeting some of the locals.

"That's the other part of what makes this special," Walker said. "We all like to get out and meet people in these towns."