Harley-Davidson Enthusiasts Raise $1.7 Mil for Charities
Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:04 am
Harley-Davidson Enthusiasts Raise $1.7 Mil for Charities
Monday, November 13, 2006 - By Jessica Marks - Signal Staff Writer - Santa Carita Valley - the-signal.com
More than 15,000 people bought tickets for the 23rd annual Love Ride festivities held at Castaic Lake and more than 20,000 motorcyclists participated in what event officials called the largest one-day motorcycle fundraising event in the world.
While all of the side streets surrounding the lake were packed with rows of gleaming chrome motorcycles created traffic problems for local residents, it was a spectacle for thousands of passersby.
The 40-mile caravan that begins at Glendale and ends at the recreation area has been a yearly phenomenon.
This year, it drew celebrities - such as Grand Marshal Jay Leno as well as Peter Fonda and Robert Patrick - and crowds of Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the country with the intent of raising money for charities, including Special Olympics and The March of Dimes.
In 22 years, the Love Ride has raised more than $18.75 million. This year, the ride was expected to gross more than $1.7 million - slightly more than last year, event coordinator Suzanne Keogh said.
"It was very successful," she added.
Others agreed.
People sat on the banks of the Castaic Lake, watching bands such as The Black Crowes, Edgar Winter and The Fryed Brothers. They were used to headline acts, as in years past, they'd seen Bruce Springsteen, Billy Idol and Dwight Yoakam perform.
"Every year, it's great," said Chuck Hays of Long Beach who's done the ride seven years in a row with his wife, Denise.
But it's more than fun. In fact, it's emotional, he said, as the ride has raised money to help those with muscular dystrophy - a disease Denise has a form of.
As people watched performers, they also had a chance to look at vendors who sold everything from accessories for bikes to custom-overhauled vehicles, complete with price tags of $35,000 or more.
Men, women, children and dogs were dressed head to toe in motorcycle gear.
A Chihuahua, Chu-Chu, had on a leather hat, sunglasses with flames on the frames and a little zippered vest that his owner, Sue Contant, made herself.
"Chu-Chu loves to ride," Contant said, and she described the pouch the dog sits in while she and her husband ride together. "If he hears the motorcycle rev up, he cries because he wants to come along, too."
Not to be outdone, Ron Contant wore a helmet with horns and fur while Sue had on a shirt that gave the illusion of having arm length tattoos.
The couple raised $1,600 for the Love Ride's charities, and it's the third year in a row that they've done it.
Monday, November 13, 2006 - By Jessica Marks - Signal Staff Writer - Santa Carita Valley - the-signal.com
More than 15,000 people bought tickets for the 23rd annual Love Ride festivities held at Castaic Lake and more than 20,000 motorcyclists participated in what event officials called the largest one-day motorcycle fundraising event in the world.
While all of the side streets surrounding the lake were packed with rows of gleaming chrome motorcycles created traffic problems for local residents, it was a spectacle for thousands of passersby.
The 40-mile caravan that begins at Glendale and ends at the recreation area has been a yearly phenomenon.
This year, it drew celebrities - such as Grand Marshal Jay Leno as well as Peter Fonda and Robert Patrick - and crowds of Harley-Davidson motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the country with the intent of raising money for charities, including Special Olympics and The March of Dimes.
In 22 years, the Love Ride has raised more than $18.75 million. This year, the ride was expected to gross more than $1.7 million - slightly more than last year, event coordinator Suzanne Keogh said.
"It was very successful," she added.
Others agreed.
People sat on the banks of the Castaic Lake, watching bands such as The Black Crowes, Edgar Winter and The Fryed Brothers. They were used to headline acts, as in years past, they'd seen Bruce Springsteen, Billy Idol and Dwight Yoakam perform.
"Every year, it's great," said Chuck Hays of Long Beach who's done the ride seven years in a row with his wife, Denise.
But it's more than fun. In fact, it's emotional, he said, as the ride has raised money to help those with muscular dystrophy - a disease Denise has a form of.
As people watched performers, they also had a chance to look at vendors who sold everything from accessories for bikes to custom-overhauled vehicles, complete with price tags of $35,000 or more.
Men, women, children and dogs were dressed head to toe in motorcycle gear.
A Chihuahua, Chu-Chu, had on a leather hat, sunglasses with flames on the frames and a little zippered vest that his owner, Sue Contant, made herself.
"Chu-Chu loves to ride," Contant said, and she described the pouch the dog sits in while she and her husband ride together. "If he hears the motorcycle rev up, he cries because he wants to come along, too."
Not to be outdone, Ron Contant wore a helmet with horns and fur while Sue had on a shirt that gave the illusion of having arm length tattoos.
The couple raised $1,600 for the Love Ride's charities, and it's the third year in a row that they've done it.