Tony Neyer has been doing tricks on his BMX bike for five years, and all that practice is finally earning the 18-year-old Western Hills resident a chance for national recognition.

Neyer competed recently in Los Angeles in front of BMX pro Ryan Nyquist in the Butterfinger Break Out Challenge for Rookie of the Year. He won the opportunity to go to Los Angeles to show his stuff after winning the Cincinnati stop of the Mobile Skatepark Series Tour.

"It was a lot of fun. Traveling is my favorite part of the sport," he said.

Tony Neyer, 18, works out on his bike at the Florence Government Center Bike and Skate Park. (Ernest Coleman photo)

Neyer, who practices about twice a week for three or four hours at a time at his school or the Florence skate park, lost in the rookie challenge. He competed against a 23-year-old from Wisconsin and a 20-year-old from New York.

But that didn't discourage him or stop him from continuing to compete as often as possible. He's refining his favorite move, the Hurricane, a 180-degree turn on the back of the ramp followed by a 360-degree turn back into the course.

Competing "gets you to be able to see new people and places and moves. It's great," Neyer said.

Philanthropist honored

For his many years as a caring philanthropist, Lee A. Carter was honored on National Philanthropy Day last week by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council. Carter, of Hyde Park, is chairman of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Board of Trustees.

In 1971, he founded Local Marketing Corp., a consulting firm. He later sold it to Grey Advertising and managed it until his retirement in 1995.

He has served on the Children's Hospital board since 1979.

Carter has served on the board's investment committee and long-range planning committee. He has chaired the board of trustees of the Convalescent Hospital for Children, an affiliate of Children's.

Other community-service activities include chairing the board of the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts and the Urban Design Review Board.