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$3,100 for roller coaster ride ‘worth every penny’

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By Justin McClelland, Staff Writer 10:12 AM Saturday, April 18, 2009

MASON — For Rex Meade, the real thrills came in just trying to get to the roller coaster.

The Denver-based web site designer had bid $404 for two seats on the inaugural running of Kings Island’s Diamondback roller coaster in a charity auction. But a late-season blizzard trapped Meade at a Denver airport, causing him to nearly miss his chance at history. Miraculously, Meade’s plane arrived in Dayton at 3:30 a.m., in time for the 8 a.m. running of the Diamondback.

“I haven’t slept in 40 hours,” Meade said. “I’m going to hit the park for a while and then crash.”

Meade was one of 256 bidders who paid a combined total of $102,000 for their shot to ride the Diamondback today, April 18, in a special debut ride before the Diamondback was officially opened to the public. The money raised in the on-line auction benefitted A Kid Again, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing fun-filled outings and ongoing support to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Several corporate bidders, including California-based gift card maker Blackhawk Network, who was the top bidder with $5,000 for a single seat, also donated their seats to children involved with the organization.

Jeff Damron, spokesman for A Kid Again, said it was the single largest gift ever made to the organization.

“To be able to come here and ride the Diamondback is a dream come true for a lot of these kids,” Damron said. “One of the best ways to fight an illness is positive thinking. For a lot of children and their parents, today was something to look forward to and motivate themselves for.”

Allan Hague, a dairy farmer from Yantis, Texas, bid $4,700 for three seats, including $3,100 to ensure he rode in the very front. His wife and father-in-law joined him towards the back. The Haugues actually stopped at an amusement park in Branson, Miss., on their two day drive as a warm up.

“You only get to be first once,” Hague said. “People ask me why I wanted to do this, and I say ‘Why Not?’”

Cheers erupted as the first cars pulled away from the station early Saturday. Some non-riding relatives turned their heads away as the cars ascended the initial 215 foot hill. Three minutes later, the first riders emerged, triumphant.

“Worth every penny,” Yantis said.

Meade immediately put the coaster in his top five of all time.

“I want to ride it again if the line ever shrinks,” Meade said. “But I want to ride the Beast too. That’s still a great ride.”

The Diamondback is the largest roller coaster in Kings Island’s history. The $22 million roller coaster travels at speeds of 80 mph over 5,282 feet with ten hills and a splash down water feature.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.

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