By Daniel Winningham
About 70 individuals took part in a ride, either on motorcycles, Jeeps or hot rods, Sunday, May 22, in a benefit for the national Bikers Against Bullies organization. The non-profit organization raises funds for kids that go to charities across the U.S.
While many of the participants were from Perryville and Perry County, others came from Cape Girardeau, Scott City, Farmington and Southern Illinois.
Sign-up for the ride began at 10 a.m. and those riding were encouraged to complete the 104-mile round trip by 5 p.m. After starting at City Tavern, Sunday’s event included stops at the Spillway on Highway T, Dori’s Bar & Grill on Highway Y in French Village, Midway Café on Highway 32 and Bader’s Place Bar & Grill in St. Mary. The roundtrip for all stops May 22 was an estimated 104 miles.
The Bikers Against Bullies organization donates much of the money it raises to initiatives to combat bullying, oftentimes donating reclaimed plastic benches for children to hang out and chat with whomever will listen.
Lloyd Brewster is no stranger to the motorcycle trips.
“I’ve been riding since I was 12,” said Brewster. He has been building custom cycles since 1978.
This is the first local event held for Bikers Against Bullies, according to Brewster.
“We just thought it was a good organization,” Brewster said.
An estimated $6,000 was raised at the May 22 event.
“It’s a way to enjoy the trip and make money for a charitable organization,” Perryville Mayor Larry Riney said.
A 50/50 drawing was held at the conclusion of Sunday’s event and there were prizes for the top three “poker hands” for participants.
A year ago, Brewster and Gary Welch took part in a national ride from San Francisco to Sturgis, South Dakota, spanning about 6,000 miles. Each evening stop had fund-raising activities for Bikers Against Bullies USA, including a live auction, noted Brewster.
This year, they plan on doing a similar motorcycle ride from Nashville to South Dakota later this summer as a lead up to the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally Aug. 5-14. The trip is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, through Saturday, Aug. 6, and will cover 2,192 miles. Riders will traverse through eight states, including Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota and trek between 185.2 miles (fifth day) and 442.7 miles (seventh day) on the trip.
