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Miracle Riders, CSU Officials Dedicate New Pediatric Simulation Lab - Columbus State University Skip to Main Content

Miracle Riders, CSU Officials Dedicate New Pediatric Simulation Lab

October 7, 2022

Miracle Riders Pediatric Lab Simulation Ribbon Cutting

Columbus, Ga. (Sept. 29, 2022) – Scott Ressmeyer, the Miracle Riders, and Columbus State University (CSU) leaders dedicated the new pediatric simulation lab today at Frank Brown Hall on CSU’s Riverpark campus. 

The lab is named in honor of the late Lyle Cheves Meeks, the son of Ryan and Isa Meeks and grandson of community leaders Cecil and Bettye Cheves. 

“Cecil has made a difference in this community for years,” said Scott Ressmeyer, co-owner of Country’s Barbecue and founder of the annual Miracle Ride. “We wanted to express our appreciation for all he has done by honoring Lyle. This is a gift from the Riders to the Cheves family and the community,” he added. 

“Our family is so grateful and honored for Scott and the Miracle Riders to bless us by naming this wonderful simulation lab after our precious Lyle,” Cheves said. “The lab will be such a blessing to our community. It is heartwarming when we think of all the parents and children who will benefit from having their nurses trained in this simulation lab.”

The pediatric simulation lab provides training opportunities for all nursing students at CSU. The Riders funded the purchase of two new interactive pediatric HAL® simulators and all components to enable lifelike movements, facial expressions, and responses. Nursing students can gain practical lab experience in diagnostics and treatment using the lifelike simulators, which resemble actual pediatric patients. 

“The support Columbus State receives from our community is incredible, and the Miracle Riders have set the bar high when it comes to partnering to make our academic programs a success,” CSU Interim President Dr. John M. Fuchko III said. “Their continuing support and advocacy will enhance our nursing students’ experience and translate into quality care for their future patients and our regional healthcare providers.”

Enhancements also include the addition of a colorful, child-centered mural. “We wanted to focus on engaging the imagination of children,” said mural artists Mike Jones and “Doc” Reed. “The design is centered on the image of a Teddy bear. These beloved stuffed animals are not simply something we snuggle with as children,” they added. “They are a reminder of the possibility and promise that childhood brings.” The artists emphasized fun yet soothing colors for the background. “In keeping with this theme, we painted daffodils,” they said. “These flowers honor the memory of Lyle. We hope people who see the mural are reminded of Lyle and the rest of the world’s children, whose wellbeing and future depends on the good deeds of individuals like the Miracle Riders.”

Ressmeyer and the Riders announced in November 2020 that, beginning in 2021, their fundraising would support CSU’s pediatric nursing program. They committed to raising $1 million over time to benefit the program. To date, they have raised $225,000 toward that goal, through their annual Miracle Ride and other activities.

Ressmeyer announced their next goal is to fund enhancements to the mother-and-baby simulation lab. Discussions with CSU nursing leadership are in progress. 

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About the Miracle Ride

The ride began in 2009 when Scott Ressmeyer set out alone on a ride through the 48 contiguous states to celebrate his 50th birthday and raise funds for the Children’s Hospital at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus. An additional 29 motorcyclists joined the ride over the next six years, raising $1.2 million for the hospital’s pediatric services. After meeting their initial goal, the riders broadened their fundraising efforts to include other local services for children. In 2015 they established the Miracle Ride Fund in the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. They have raised more than $947,000 for the fund. Since the inaugural ride in 2009, Scott and the Riders have raised more than $2.14 million for services for children. The riders pay all their own expenses on their annual cross-country trips. Collectively, they have spent more than $750,000 of their own money to participate in the rides.

About Columbus State University

Columbus State University is a four-year regional public university founded in 1958 in Columbus, Georgia. It hosts more than 7,500 students, nearly 40,000 alumni, and offers more than 90 degrees and programs of study. Across all programs and majors, Columbus State's curriculum is grounded in academic excellence and creativity. We challenge students to be “creative to the core” by thinking in new ways, turning ideas into innovations, and building a career for today's global economy. CSU is one of 26 public colleges and universities administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). For more information, visit columbusstate.edu.