Eblo

Considering this was my first time participating in an event like this, I was never lost, never unsure what was going on, and never intimidated. The staff, volunteers, and other riders were all friendly, helpful, and VERY well-organized. The ride was police escorted which meant we got to blow off stop signs and traffic lights. :) The mass of the group was split in two to allow cross traffic a chance to proceed. I was amazed by how many people cheered us on along the way. Folks were sitting out in lawn chairs, leaning against fences, or just stuck in traffic smiling and waving as we rode by. When we turned on to Bartlett Road all I could see up a mile and a half of road was two rows of tail lights as we marched two-by-two.

By the trip meter on my bike, we rode about 50 miles over about an hour and a half. The route took us through my old childhood and high school stomping grounds - down Shoe Factory Road, Bartlett road through my hometown of
Streamwood, westbound down US 20 to Bluff City Boulevard through Elgin and eventually to IL 25 (apparently one of the ride's flaggers talked an engineer into holding his train for the first group to pass by - how cool is that?) and by the farms and ponds of South Elgin that I grew up duck hunting with my dad, uncles, cousins and friends. From there, we continued southbound on IL 25 along the Fox River to IL 64 where we turned west to cross the Fox. A church service had let out specifically to cheer us on as we went by and people lined the bridge with cameras. We were also greeted by about 15 seniors out on the steps of a senior center after we turned back northward on IL 31. I was laughing and smiling inside my helmet to see that.

From there we wandered through the wooded and developing neighborhoods northwest of St. Charles along Red Gate, Crane, Bolcom, Corron, McDonald, Crawford, Bowes and Nestler (I think - the GPS flaked out at this point) Roads back to US 20 for an eastbound run back to Bartlett Road and up to Allstate in Hoffman Estates. It was a great route on some roads I haven't seen in years, and the weather was perfect for it.

As for the motorcycles, I saw everything from a 70's era Hondamatic to brand new custom choppers. The majority of bikes there were Honda Goldwings (Honda is a major corporate contributor and the Goldwing Rider's Clubs are usually the top fund raising clubs to participate) with quite a few trikes and a couple sidecar rigs, but there were plenty of Harleys, Shadows, and even a few Indians. My 1981 Yamaha XJ750 Seca wasn't the oldest bike there, but I'd bet it was in the top 10 to 20. There were cruisers, sport bikes, and even a dual-sport or two. It was chrome and black leather as far as the eye could see - motorcycle heaven.

But in the end, it's all about the kids and families, present and future, who benefit from the funds raised by this event and ones like it all across the country. We got to hear firsthand from them how much they appreciate the support the ride generates for them.

I want to thank all of my donors for helping me make the most out of a glorious
Sunday morning. Without them, it would have just been a motorcycle ride. Their generosity turned it into an experience I'll remember for a long time.

I'm already starting a penny jar for next year's ride! I hope you are, too.