Blessing of the Bikes a draw for area riders
Mooseheart Child City & School, off Route 31 near Batavia, will rumble with more than 300 motorcycles touring the campus during the seventh annual Blessing of the Bikes event on Saturday, May 15.
Registration starts in the parking lot south of the campus' football stadium at 8 a.m. The annual tour through campus culminates in the actual blessing for a safe riding season, which takes place again in front of the House of God at 11 a.m. For the second consecutive year, a Mooseheart child will deliver the blessing.
After the blessing, riders will go on a charitable raffle run, a ride which will feature stops at several local Moose Lodges and supportive motorcycle dealerships, and which will conclude at Elgin Lodge 799 - where there will be a special announcement which will deal with the ongoing and growing relationship between the Moose fraternity and Special Olympics softball.
The bike blessing is a long-held tradition in which riders receive wishes for a safe riding season.
One of the interesting things to do while the riders congregate before their tour of campus is to check license plates. Already this year, riders from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Iowa and Michigan have preregistered - and good weather will see that swell considerably. In 2009, a record 312 motorcycles and 401 riders enjoyed a day at Mooseheart.
"It's an event that's grown over the years," Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart said. "We certainly anticipate having 300 or more bikes again, and we'd love to have more than 400. The children enjoy that roar of motorcycles as they tour the campus. It's a rumble that builds in the distance and becomes deafening by the time they pass by."
While the event is open to all riders - whether Moose members or not - the majority of those attending are not only members, but belong to one of the 197 recognized Moose Rider groups within the Moose fraternal organization.
"I know the kids appreciate the support of the Moose Riders and what they bring to the campus in the way of fundraisers for their needs," Hart said. "They also like to have people on campus who step forward and say 'I care about you and your needs and for your future.'"
The Blessing of the Bikes is a fundraiser for Moose Charities and Special Olympics. A year ago, the event raised some $8,285. This year, donations have already been received from Duncan (Okla.) Lodge 2202 Moose Riders and Buena Park (Calif.) Lodge 1945 Moose Riders.
Once they leave Mooseheart, riders on the raffle run will stop at Pierce Harley-Davidson in DeKalb, St. Charles Moose Lodge 1368, Indian Motorcycles of Chicago in South Elgin, Carpentersville Moose Lodge 1958, and finally the ride-ending celebration at Elgin Moose Lodge 799.
The Chicago Slaughter indoor football team's cheerleaders will help at registration and at all sites along the ride. Law Tigers, an organization dedicated to providing legal representation to motorcycle riders in need, will provide goody bags for all riders. For information on the Bike Blessing, visit www.mooseheart.org.