Injured rider, 10, heads for home

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November 03, 2009

By Mark Freeman

Mail Tribune

A 10-year-old motorcycle racer injured in an Oct. 24 crash while racing in Salem was headed home late Monday to the Rogue Valley where the local motocross community is ready to help him and his family.

Chase Grimes, of Trail, suffered multiple broken bones in his legs and feet during the crash while competing on an 85-cc motorcycle in a state championship race at the Salem Arenacross, friends said Monday.

Chase underwent numerous surgeries at Doernbecher's Children's Hospital at Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland. He was discharged Monday, a Doernbecher spokesman said.

The family was taking Chase home by rental car Monday, and friends have already organized a series of fundraisers and benefits to help with the family's expenses, said family friend Mike Wasemiller of Medford.

Chase's parents, Sadie and Brad Grimes, own the Pizza at the Cove restaurant in Shady Cove, said friend Dennis Burt of Grants Pass.

The family also has organized and run a series of winter "arena-cross" races the past three years at Isola Arena at the Jackson County Expo.

"Everyone we've spoken to in the motocross community has been willing to embrace Chase and help the family any way they can, even it they can't do it monetarily," Wasemiller said Monday.

Wasemiller and Burt said it was unclear whether any of Chase's medical expenses, which they estimated at more than $100,000, would be covered by insurance.

"Whatever we can do is what we're going to do now," Burt said.

Burt said friends have set up accounts at local banks for donations and plan a weekend series of fundraisers Nov. 20-22 centered around the arena-cross race the Grimes had organized.

"We're going to make it a benefit race for Chase and run it for them instead of them running it for everybody," Burt said.

The weekend will kick off with a Friday night poker event, followed Saturday by an auction, spaghetti feed and indoor race, Burt said. More events were planned, he said.

A fund for the family also has been set up at Evergreen Federal bank, with checks or deposits payable to "FOB Chase Grimes," Wasemiller said.

For more information about ways to help the Grimes family, call Burt at 541-226-6715.

Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail at mfreeman@mailtribune.com.

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