Kings Island Charity Auction Fundraising surpasses $75,000 for Orion First Riders Auction benefiting A Kid Again

A fundraising event to be among the first riders on the new Orion roller coaster at Kings Island benefiting A Kid Again has now surpassed $75,000.

Individual fundraising by 686 participants representing 24 states and Canada along with sponsor donations have contributed to the fundraising total.

Participants who raise a minimum of $150 will be eligible to take part in the Orion First Riders Auction event on April 9, where they will enjoy three hours of riding Orion over and over again, an Orion First Riders t-shirt, food and a certificate of participation.

One of the most anticipated new rides in the amusement and theme park industry this year, Orion when it debuts will be one of only seven giga coasters in the world, a class of roller coasters having a height or drop of 300-399 feet. Riders on Orion will plummet down an exhilarating 300-foot first drop at an incredible 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.

A Kid Again is 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. A Kid Again families are invited to participate in these adventures from the age of diagnosis until the child reaches age 20 through funds raised from events such as this. 

For the past 24 years, Kings Island has hosted an annual outing for A Kid Again children and their families, providing an opportunity for sick kids to get out of the hospital, grab their brothers and sisters, their moms and dads, and come to Kings Island for the greatest day of the year - the day they can be a kid again.