HICKORY, N.C. – Last weekend’s fourth annual Ricky Craven Snowmobile Ride for Charity raised a record amount of money for five selected charities.

The event, which features an 87-mile snowmobile ride around Moosehead Lake in Greenville, Maine, a drawing for prizes and an autograph session, raised $82,310.

Joining Craven, who races on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit, was Maine driver Andy Santerre.

About 450 participants gathered in Greenville, where Craven has a home. Close to 300 of the participants were snowmobile riders.

“We were thrilled with the money raised this year,” Craven said. “The day was absolutely perfect. The weather was gorgeous, the crowd was a lot of fun, and everything went off without a hitch. Every year this event drums up more and more support, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see everyone out there having a good time for some really good causes.

This year’s proceeds will be split among five charities: The Make-A-Wish Foundation; Children’s Miracle Network; the Marrow Foundation; the Travis Roy Foundation; and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The event has distributed more than $262,000 to charitable causes since it was begun in 1998. Participants pay $125 per person for the event, and additional money is raised through the sale of door prize tickets and the support of event sponsors.

Next year’s ride is scheduled for the last week in January.