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Today's dish: Jay Leno leads bikers on ride for charity


CASTAIC, Calif. -- Jay Leno led 20,000 bikers on the 20th annual Love Ride charity run from Glendale to Castaic Lake, where barbecue and a ZZ Top concert awaited them.

"How many people here are on parole?" Leno, host of NBC's "Tonight" show, cracked Sunday, getting a roar of approval from the leather-clad crowd -- among them Peter Fonda and Pat Boone -- that helped raise an estimated $1 million for various charities.

There were odd moments, including Boone leading the crowd in a heavy-metal version of the national anthem.

Motorcyclists kicked off the 50-mile ride to the concert site by lining up for blocks around Harley-Davidson of Glendale.

Spike TV gets set for Video Game Awards

NEW YORK -- Spike TV -- "the first network for men" -- will hold its inaugural Video Game Awards show in Las Vegas next month, with actor- comedian David Spade as host.

The show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will premiere on Spike TV on Dec. 4.

"The VGAs celebrate those games that have blistered our fingers poised on the joystick and kept us up all night," Albie Hecht, president of Spike TV, said in a statement Monday.

"We're throwing out all the boring and stagnant elements of traditional awards shows and focusing on what matters -- the characters, game play, animation, music and performances that have made an impact on the video game community throughout the past year."

Awards will be presented in 16 categories, including game of the year, best online game and best game based on a movie.

Musician gives school $1 million

NEW ORLEANS -- Ray Charles has donated $1 million to Dillard University for the creation of a program about black culture, the school announced Monday.

The donation will create an endowed faculty position and program devoted to the musical, culinary, artistic and linguistic contributions of black Americans, Dillard spokeswoman Maureen Larkins said.


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