Fundraising for Orion first riders charity auction event soars past $100,000! 

The thrill of being among the first riders on the new Orion roller coaster will have a whole new meaning April 9, when Kings Island hosts the Orion First Riders Auction presented by Interim HealthCare of Cincinnati Inc. to raise money for the Southwest Ohio chapter of A Kid Again, a nonprofit organization which exists to foster hope, happiness and healing for families raising kids with life-threatening illnesses through fun-filled group activities and events.

Kings Island fans and roller coaster enthusiasts alike will enjoy an evening filled with riding Orion over and over again from 6-9 p.m. All participants in the event will have raised a minimum of $150 for A Kid Again and will receive complimentary admission to Kings Island, a certificate of participation, an Orion First Riders event t-shirt, food and unlimited rides on Orion. Plaques will be award to the top five fundraisers.

As of Feb. 18, over $113,000 has been raised for A Kid Again by the more than 700 participants from 24 different states and Canada and corporate donations by Arts Rental Equipment Inc., Ashley Fence Enterprises Inc., Avenue Fabricating Inc., Barry-Owen Co. Inc., Blue Ribbon Meats Inc., Carter Manufacturing Company, Cintech Construction, Creative Concepts Inc., F.G. Schaeffer, Goffa International Corporation, Graeter’s Ice Cream, Industrial Wheels, Klosterman Baking Company, Lake Erie Electric, LaRosa’s Pizza, Lone Rock Clothing, Ohio Eagle Distributing LLC, Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., R.E. Middleton LLC, SHP Engineering, Skyline Chili, SpringDot Inc., TRA Design and Interim HealthCare of Cincinnati Inc.

Individuals interested in participating in the event can register for the Orion First Riders Action online.

Designed exclusively by Switzerland-based Bolliger & Mabillard, Orion makes its public debut April 11 when Kings Island opens for the 2020 season and will be one of only seven giga coasters in the world, a class of coasters having a height or drop of 300-399 feet. Riders will sit four across on a 32-passenger train and plummet down an exhilarating 300-foot first drop at a 85-degree angle before traversing on a high-speed journey over seven more hills and 5,321 feet of track at speeds up to 91 mph on the tallest and fastest roller coaster at Kings Island.