Twenty-four motorcycles on the highway in a procession a kilometre long had a special mission as they rolled toward the coal-mining ghost town of Wayne.
There was an RCMP rider with them, ensuring the mission was honoured, respected and protected.
“A guy in a pickup tried to pass the kilometre-long procession but he was sure surprised when one bike pulled out with red and blue lights flashing,” said Dave Hogarth, a 58-year-old realtor from Olds who was one of the riders.
Hogarth was also instrumental in organizing the ride. He was the chair of the inaugural Rotary Ride for Ronald. The ride, a 160-km journey from the Olds Walmart parking lot to Wayne, was held Sept. 8. It was a day that was marked by near perfect weather and an end result that exceeded Hogarth's expectations.
“The day went really, really well,” said Hogarth, a members of the Olds Rotary Club, and a passionate rider since 1976. “If you had a bad day you might not get a lot of riders out. We got lucky.”
With the 24 motorcycles the event attracted 33 participants from Red Deer, Lacombe, Calgary, Drumheller, Stettler and Bowden. The goal of the ride was to raise $10,000 for the Ronald McDonald houses in Calgary and Red Deer.
So far, Hogarth and organizers have confirmed that more than $11,000 was raised. The money will be split evenly between the two houses.
When riders reached the Drumheller Valley, rode past the famous 11 bridges leading into Wayne, and finally settled down to lunch at the equally famous Rosedeer Hotel, they had the opportunity to hear first-hand why it was so important to be involved in the special Sept. 8 ride. They heard first-hand the story from a Red Deer couple who had a sick child. The couple stayed at a Ronald McDonald House in Calgary while their child received medical attention. It was a presentation that gave special meaning to their three-hour journey to Wayne.
“It was touching to hear them speak about it,” said Hogarth.
The success of this year's inaugural ride has inspired Hogarth and others to not only make it an annual event but also have Rotary clubs from across the province join in.
“Rotarians came and they are very interested in next year,” said Hogarth, adding sponsorship assistance from Olds' Century 21 Gateway Real Estate Ltd., the region's McDonald's restaurants, Olds' Walmart and Encana made a special positive impact on the event's success. “They (Rotary) all want to help out.”
For more information on the event visit the website at www.rotaryrideforronald.com.
