Aurora police hope to hit goal with motorcycle ride

Aurora police hope to hit their goal of raising $15,000 this year for Special Olympics Illinois.

To that end, they have planned the “Ride for Athletes” Motorcycle Rally/Ride Saturday.

Sgt. Doug Podschweit, who organized the event, said the first ride was held two years ago and only attracted about 25 riders because it coincided with the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, Mich.

This time, organizers decided on the ride after several large donations pushed the department's tally to just $2,300 short of their goal. Podschweit hopes to hit 100 motorcyclists for a 100-mile “fun ride” that will travel through rural Kane, Kendall, Grundy and LaSalle counties.

“It really came together in a short period of time. I'm getting a lot more calls every day,” Podschweit said. “We're going to go out, have a nice ride and make a statement for Special Olympics. We know times are tough. Every little bit helps.”

The ride will begin at 11 a.m. at the Aurora Athletic Club, 550 Clearwater Ave., North Aurora, and include three stops before ending up at the club, where there will be food for purchase, a disc jockey, 50-50 raffle and a single-elimination bags tournament.

The ride should take two to three hours and will be held rain or shine.

Cost for the ride is $15 per bike and all proceeds go directly to Special Olympics Illinois.

Tickets may be bought the day of the ride or in advance at the Aurora Police Credit Union, 1200 E. Indian Trail Road, Aurora.

For more information, call Podschweit at (630) 256-5772 or (630) 973-6761.

Bar doles out grant: The Kane County Bar Foundation recently awarded a $2,000 grant to Marklund, a nonprofit organization specializing in the care of developmentally disabled adults and children, to underwrite the cost of legal services regarding guardianship.The money will be used to help streamline processes for Marklund to become guardians of residents 18 and older.#8220;The Kane County Bar Foundation tries to identify organizations that are making a real difference in our community by providing the poor and disadvantaged access to legal advice and services,#8221; said foundation President Michael C. Doyen. #8220;We were happy to give Marklund this grant and only wish we could have done more.#8221;The state requires all adults with developmental disabilities have designated guardians.At its Geneva campus, Marklund serves 96 adult residents.#8220;We appreciate the Kane County Bar Foundation's assistance with this effort, which will allow us to further support our families and clients,#8221; said Vicki Krystof, director of corporate and foundation relations at Marklund, which has locations in Geneva and Bloomingdale, as well as a resale shop in Wood Dale.