Loveland rally features charity events
participating in Sunday's 2011 Forever Family Celebrity Charity Ride pass through the intersection of U.S. 287 and Southeast 19th Street in Loveland. Greer, a member of the Brothers Strong Riding Club, served as a road captain working to keep hundreds of motorcycles together throughout the journey. (Photo by Michael Bettis) ( Michael Bettis )
The 500 riders, plus another 200 to 300 passengers, left the seventh annual Thunder in the Rockies Bike Rally -- a Labor Day weekend event at Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson in Loveland -- to take a 60-mile trip to Estes Park's Aspen Lodge.
"A long line of bikers looks really good," said Wes Kooy of Loveland, one of the riders. "It's a whole lifestyle riding together. The more, the merrier."
The bikers lined up behind celebrity riders Michael Ballard, owner of Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, S.D., and his passenger, Angie Carlson, known as Angie of Angieland. Their cycles rumbled, growled and groaned as they inched along, taking 10 minutes to clear out of the parking lot and get onto the road -- Interstate 25 to Colorado 66 through Lyons up to Estes Park.
"We do all kinds of charity events around the country, so we're always ready to participate," said Ballard, who divides his time between Sturgis and Memphis, Tenn. "Bikers have a bond with that."
The proceeds from the ride will benefit the emergency fund for Realities for Children Inc. in Fort Collins that helps abused and neglected children in Larimer County. To participate, the riders donated $30 and the passengers $10, but they could give more.
Last year, the ride raised $7,500.
"It's a testimonial to the heart of the biking community, just good people willing to make a difference," said Craig Secher, president of Realities for Children.
Members of Brothers Strong Riding Club in Fort Collins served as lead road captains and sweeps on the back end to keep the riders together.
"It's kind of like a shepherd. We're keeping the flock together," said Joe Jones of Fort Collins, president of Brothers Strong. Just before 10:30 a.m., Mark Rospierski Jr. of Wellington and his wife,
Heather, sat atop their Harley-Davidson, waiting for the ride to begin.
"I love riding for Full Throttle and helping with any charity I can," Rospierski said. "I support all bikers and all charities."
Andrea Leigh, who started riding motorcycles a year ago, came down from Denver on her Indian Spirit to try out the charity ride for the first time.
"I'm addicted. I ride all the time," Leigh said. "It's really, really, really fun, being outside, no restrictions, seeing all around you, the sky, the wind, everything."
The turnout at the charity ride is more than double what it was last year, said Jill Almirall, marketing and events manager for Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson. She figured that riders who live in Colorado and nearby states came to Thunder in the Rockies instead of Sturgis, which saw a smaller attendance and a letdown from the 70th anniversary the year before, she said.
"We feel lots of people stayed close to home over Labor Day," Almirall said.
The bike rally itself also saw a spike in attendance. The turnout is expected to hit 50,000, nearly double last year's turnout of 25,000 to 30,000 people, Almirall said.
"We're blowing out our numbers for the rally," she said. "People couldn't make it up to Sturgis, but they could make it here."
The rally concludes today. There will be a tattoo contest as well as continuing events, such as the Harley-Davidson demo fleet; Paul Yaffe's Bagger Nation; vendors selling bikes, gear and accessories; and Ballard's Full Throttle Saloon serving alcoholic beverages at the Thunder Mountain Amphitheater.
Shelley Widhalm can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 531, or swidhalm@reporter-herald.com.
Motorcyclists funneled out of the Hooters parking lot Sunday morning single file or doubled up as they roared into the Forever Family Celebrity Ride.
The 500 riders, plus another 200 to 300 passengers, left the seventh annual Thunder in the Rockies Bike Rally -- a Labor Day weekend event at Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson in Loveland -- to take a 60-mile trip to Estes Park's Aspen Lodge.
"A long line of bikers looks really good," said Wes Kooy of Loveland, one of the riders. "It's a whole lifestyle riding together. The more, the merrier."
The bikers lined up behind celebrity riders Michael Ballard, owner of Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, S.D., and his passenger, Angie Carlson, known as Angie of Angieland. Their cycles rumbled, growled and groaned as they inched along, taking 10 minutes to clear out of the parking lot and get onto the road -- Interstate 25 to Colorado 66 through Lyons up to Estes Park.
"We do all kinds of charity events around the country, so we're always ready to participate," said Ballard, who divides his time between Sturgis and Memphis, Tenn. "Bikers have a bond with that."
The proceeds from the ride will benefit the emergency fund for Realities for Children Inc. in Fort Collins that helps abused and neglected children in Larimer County. To participate, the riders donated $30 and the passengers $10, but they could give more.
Last year, the ride raised $7,500.
"It's a testimonial to the heart of the biking community, just good people willing to make a difference," said Craig Secher, president of Realities for Children.
Members of Brothers Strong Riding Club in Fort Collins served as lead road captains and sweeps on the back end to keep the riders together.
"It's kind of like a shepherd. We're keeping the flock together," said Joe Jones of Fort Collins, president of Brothers Strong. Just before 10:30 a.m., Mark Rospierski Jr. of Wellington and his wife,
Michael Ballard, left, owner of the Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, S.D., poses Sunday with Realities for Children president and founder Craig Secher, right, before the 2011Forever Family Celebrity Ride during the Thunder in the Rockies Bike Rally in Loveland. (Photo by Michael Bettis)
"I love riding for Full Throttle and helping with any charity I can," Rospierski said. "I support all bikers and all charities."
Andrea Leigh, who started riding motorcycles a year ago, came down from Denver on her Indian Spirit to try out the charity ride for the first time.
"I'm addicted. I ride all the time," Leigh said. "It's really, really, really fun, being outside, no restrictions, seeing all around you, the sky, the wind, everything."
The turnout at the charity ride is more than double what it was last year, said Jill Almirall, marketing and events manager for Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson. She figured that riders who live in Colorado and nearby states came to Thunder in the Rockies instead of Sturgis, which saw a smaller attendance and a letdown from the 70th anniversary the year before, she said.
"We feel lots of people stayed close to home over Labor Day," Almirall said.
The bike rally itself also saw a spike in attendance. The turnout is expected to hit 50,000, nearly double last year's turnout of 25,000 to 30,000 people, Almirall said.
"We're blowing out our numbers for the rally," she said. "People couldn't make it up to Sturgis, but they could make it here."
The rally concludes today. There will be a tattoo contest as well as continuing events, such as the Harley-Davidson demo fleet; Paul Yaffe's Bagger Nation; vendors selling bikes, gear and accessories; and Ballard's Full Throttle Saloon serving alcoholic beverages at the Thunder Mountain Amphitheater.
Shelley Widhalm can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 531, or swidhalm@reporter-herald.com.
