Area residents raised $7,500 during a motorcycle poker run Saturday to help 4-year-old Vicky Hall, a Ludowici girl who is fighting cancer. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in February.

“We had a great and overwhelming outpouring of support from the community. After all of the dust settled, we raised $7,500 to give to Vicky’s family to help out with her medical bills,” said Walt Pelton, one of the event organizers.

He said riders came from all over — some from as far away as Texas — to participate in the run.

“There were some riders who are members of the Shield of Honor Motorcycle Club who came all the way from Dallas to show their support,” he said. “One of the riders, Wade Griffin, talked to her about his cancer and told her how he had been fighting it for three years.”

According to Pelton, Griffin was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2008 and told that he only had six months to live. Three years later, however, he is still riding high on his motorcycle and helping others.

 “Wade fought his cancer and is now a cancer survivor,” Pelton said. “He said when he heard about Vicky, he wanted to come down and show his support.”

After the ride, participants met up at the Long County Wildlife Festival grounds to enjoy a barbecue dinner.

“It was a good day. It’s terrible when something like this happens to a child, but a day like today also shows how something positive can come out of a bad thing,” Pelton said.