Motorcyclists to gather for memorial ride

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May 22, 2009

STAFF REPORT The Commercial-News Fri May 22, 2009, 08:27 PM CDT

DANVILLE — Motorcyclists will gather Monday to honor fallen riders, raise funds for a monument and raise awareness of motorcycle safety.

The memorial ride will start at 1 p.m. at Temple Plaza, Vermilion and North streets. Registration will be between 9 a.m. and noon.

The riders will travel to Sunset Memorial Park, where they will say a prayer for those who have died in motorcycle accidents. At least 100 bikes are expected.

The riders then will return to Temple Plaza, where there will be food, a live band and educational materials. There also will be a drawing for a $250 gift card from Gutterridge Harley-Davidson.

Non-bikers are invited to stop by the event and learn more about motorcycle safety.

The ride is being sponsored by Help Educate Yourself Riders, a new group that wants to educate everyone on motorcycle safety and awareness.

“We’re hoping everyone comes by,” said Angela Bates, who founded the group along with her husband Eddie Bates II. “There will be lots of information for motorcyclists and car drivers.”

Fees on the day of the event are $15 per rider or $20 with a passenger. Pre-registration fees are $10 per ride or $15 with a passenger, and may be paid at Julee’s Shooting Star, 109 W. Main St., Westville; Gutterridge Harley-Davidson, 1606 Georgetown Road, Tilton; or Mike’s Tattoos, 709 N. Vermilion St.

All proceeds will go toward a monument, which will be placed at Sunset. Names of victims will be placed on the monument over the years; the first names to be inscribed are Kim Stewart Hagan, Chad Hagan, Kevin Gay and Joe Adams.

At Monday’s event, the group will promote its “Start Seeing Motorcycles” and “Don’t Drink and Ride” campaigns.

Bates said, “We believe that if we can reach motorcyclists and everyone that shares the roads with us, that we have a greater chance of reducing the number of related accidents and fatalities.”

The group’s first project is to raise money for a monument that will be placed in Sunset.

Anyone wanting to make donations toward the monument may send them to: H.E.Y. Riders, P.O. Box 303, Danville, IL 61843-0303.

Also, anyone who has lost a loved one to a motorcycle accident may contact Bates at 213-5467 about adding the name to the monument.

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