Bikers ride 1000 miles to raise money for Kids

On the early morning hours of June 24th a large group of bikers assembled at the Uniontown, Pennsylvania Holiday Inn to begin a journey that would bond them for a lifetime.  The event was the Second Annual Hoagy's Heroes Charity Bike Ride.  This ride was established in 2004 by Bob "Hoagy" Carmichael as a way to join two activities that he enjoys.  Riding motorcycles and raising money for worthy causes.

This year's ride was a 1000 mile ride that began and ended in Uniontown, PA.  No big deal you say, well the one part that makes this ride unique is that the 1000 miles must be ridden in under 24 hours.  this makes the ride an Official Iron Butt Ride.  Iron Butt is a World Wide Association that verifies that registers long distance motorcycle rides.

With the stage set the registration for the ride began on Thursday afternoon and continued right up until the start of the ride at 1:30 AM on Friday morning (June 24th).  By midnight the hotel lobby was full of Riders and passengers that were anxious to get on their way.  The bikes were lined up in the parking lot and the coffee was flowing.  The route was reviewed with all riders and some last minute instructions were delivered.  As 1:30 AM approached Volunteers from several local police and fire departments (Uniontown Fire, Scottsdale Fire and Police, Emerson Police and the Mutual Aid Ambulance Service) began the process of verifying odometer readings on the bikes and issuing official start times for each motorcycle.

At precisely 1:30 AM the first bike was off.  Then in waves, the remainder of the bikes were released until all 119 bikes had left the staging area.  Some rode alone, some with a single friend or new acquaintance, others in groups.  Some were young, some were old, some were local and some were from as far away as Texas and up state New York.  Some rode one up while others had a passenger in tow.  One rider had recently completed 8 weeks of Chemo Therapy but was willing to give it a try.  Two riders actually set out in clown outfits (one was Hoagy of course).  One rode a 250 Honda and another set out on a 1980 Harley Davidson.  Some were taking odds as to whether the 250 or the old Harley would actually finish.  From the local business men and women to the several female riders, the group set out on a journey that would only take a day to complete but would provide a lifetime of memories.  these riders represented 8 states and a good cross section of America.

The weather was perfect for the ride.  The night was clear and cool with a forecast for a hot but rain free day over the entire route.  This can be a challenge based on the number of miles being ridden in a single day.  Throughout the day the groups of riders crossed each others' paths and had opportunities to swap rode stories as they proceeded on their journey.  As night began to close in on the day many riders began to check in at Cerini's National Road Harley Davidson.  This was the finish point for the ride where odometers would again be verified along with required gas slips to ensure that each rider had indeed completed the established course.  This finish point registration continued into the wee hours of Saturday morning as some riders did indeed use the entire 24 hours to complete the course.  Volunteers at Cerini's National Road Harley Davidson included family members of the ride organizers along with National Road Harley Davidson employees and members of the Fayette County Harley Owners Group (HOG) members.

At Cerini's National Road Harley Davidson the mood was one of mixed emotions.  Many riders were exhausted from having just completed the longest single day rider of their lives.  However they seemed to be powered by their accomplishment and knowing that their efforts would be providing the financial support to make dreams come true for seriously ill children.

After a short night's sleep the riders again assembled at Cerini's National Road Harley Davidson for a group photo.  This provided the riders a chance to exchange addresses and phone numbers as well as road stories from the previous day.  When all was said and done only a few of the riders that had set out on this journey did not complete the ride in the required time.  There were no injuries and no speeding tickets in the entire group.  The initial tally is that the group raised over $36,000 for the selected charities and the money and pledges continue to come in.  For the record the 250 and the 1980 Harley both made the entire ride in time as did the recent Chemo patient.  Congratulations to all who participated.  And thanks to the many volunteers who made this ride possible.  Without them, this ride would not have been possible.

Everyone is already looking forward to next years ride.  The dates have been selected (June 23rd and 24th) and the route and final details are near completion.  Watch the web page for final details and be ready to Lock in the date and Load up your bike to be part of the 3rd Annual Hoagy's Heroes Iron Butt Long Distance Charity Ride.  Visit HoagysHeroes.org for more details on the past rides as well as upcoming rides.

Remember to Lock-N-Load and ride safe.