Motorcycle group aims for largest poker run

Off the Wire
MCs in the News

MILFORD – The 102 motorcyclists who roared up Route 13 on Saturday morning on their way to New Boston were doing more than having a great ride on a gorgeous spring day. They were also doing some good.

Put on by a local chapter of the Red Knights Motorcycle Club, the poker run went up Route 13 to New Boston, then over to Bennington, Dublin and finally into Jaffrey, where police had shut down all the main routes to clear the way.

The local riders raised more than $1,000 for the Fallen Firefighters Survivors Foundation to help firefighters and their families experiencing hard times.

Don Kraemer, a Temple firefighter who is president of the New Hampshire Chapter IV of the Red Knights, organized the ride with the help of Richard Trempe, of the Jaffrey Fire Department.

“It was an absolutely wonderful day,” Kraemer said later on Saturday. after a post-ride barbecue in Jaffrey, when prizes and T-shirts were given out.

“Some people said it was the best ride ever,” he said.

The poker run was also part of an effort by the Red Knights to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s largest poker run.

It will be a few days before they know whether they achieved that, Kraemer said. But 102 riders meant it was definitely the biggest ride Chapter IV has ever organized – their previous record was 75.

“Motorcycle riders tend to be very generous,” Kraemer said. “They enjoy doing good and helping other people.”

The Red Knights Motorcycle Club is an organization of U.S. and Canadian riders connected to fire departments who try to promote motorcycle safety and project a positive image of motorcycling.

More than 250 Red Knight chapters were scheduled to participate on Saturday.

Along with the $10 registration fee, Chapter IV also had sponsors. The $250 sponsors included Temple Mountain Beef, of Temple; Cassidy Tree and Landscaping, of Greenville; and Ironworkers Local No. 7, of South Boston.

Kathy Cleveland can be reached at kcleveland@cabinet.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 673-3100, ext. 21.

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