BVQ Ride
Category
The 3rd Annual BVQ Ride has come and gone, but it will be remembered as a very successful event. A forecast of morning showers for Saturday forced us to reschedule to our rain date of Sunday, July 19th (the following day) and we got the word out as best we could. Even with the change, we had a very respectable turnout of 41 bikes. And the great weather we ended up with was an added bonus.
The morning preparation at the staging area went very smoothly. Chapter members came early to get things set up. Each person did their part to contribute to the effort "behind the scenes". We are getting better and better at this every year.
Bikes began arriving right on schedule at about 9AM. It was so nice to see some faces that have been greatly missed by the chapter as many of our rides may conflict with personal calendars and family & work time. Lancaster John was there and so was Pankey. Members of several STAR chapters came in support. We had some very interesting machines roll in, including a Boss Hog and a custom trike.
A sincere Thank You to Chapter 239s sponsor RedStreak Motors, particularly Charlie, who gave us the use of the parking lot as well as the area at the rear of the building which we used as an entrance. It really made a big difference from last year by keeping the arriving bikes more in line. After a safety briefing by Ray, our Road Captain, riders took to their bikes. The departure was picture perfect.
Our Thanks go out to the Middlesex County Sheriff's Motorcycle Unit. They really made this riding experience a pleasure. We appreciate all the help they provided to keep us safe and to keep the group moving at a very comfortable pace. There was no rubber banding to speak of. We rode tight and in good formation and left no room for any vehicles to infiltrate. Bob & Sue followed behind in their 4 wheeled vehicle, and the police cruiser with blue lights flashing, brought up the rear. The line of bikes was impressive. Full size American flags were mounted on the first few bikes at the front, as well as on the last few at the back. Many people waved as we went through their towns. Yes, there were a couple of minor hiccups & a few miscommunications enroute, but no "heckawe" turns were needed to get us back on track. Whew!
The festivities at the VFW were enjoyed by all and included raffles, giveaways, good food and even a brief visit by the ice cream man.
Thank You to VFW Post #638 in Marlborough for letting us use their facility as our ride destination this year. Burgers and dogs on the grill, including other assorted fixins' made the BBQ just great. "Props" to both the set up and cooking crews that arrived at the VFW in the morning to make sure everything was ready for the riders as they pulled in after the 1½ hour ride. A superb job of grilling, once again.
The donations from the day of the ride along with the money that had been previously donated, comes to over $2,300, ALL of which will go directly to aid our military veterans. Our slogan for this year was "Give Something Back, Support our Veterans". Everyone who was there on Sunday did just that.
And of this, we can all be proud.
The members of Chapter 239 would like to thank all those who participated in this event. Together, we were all able to make this day a complete success.
We hope to see you all at the 4th Annual BVQ Ride in 2010.
The 3rd Annual BVQ Ride has come and gone, but it will be remembered as a very successful event. A forecast of morning showers for Saturday forced us to reschedule to our rain date of Sunday, July 19th (the following day) and we got the word out as best we could. Even with the change, we had a very respectable turnout of 41 bikes. And the great weather we ended up with was an added bonus.
The morning preparation at the staging area went very smoothly. Chapter members came early to get things set up. Each person did their part to contribute to the effort "behind the scenes". We are getting better and better at this every year.
Bikes began arriving right on schedule at about 9AM. It was so nice to see some faces that have been greatly missed by the chapter as many of our rides may conflict with personal calendars and family & work time. Lancaster John was there and so was Pankey. Members of several STAR chapters came in support. We had some very interesting machines roll in, including a Boss Hog and a custom trike.
A sincere Thank You to Chapter 239s sponsor RedStreak Motors, particularly Charlie, who gave us the use of the parking lot as well as the area at the rear of the building which we used as an entrance. It really made a big difference from last year by keeping the arriving bikes more in line. After a safety briefing by Ray, our Road Captain, riders took to their bikes. The departure was picture perfect.
Our Thanks go out to the Middlesex County Sheriff's Motorcycle Unit. They really made this riding experience a pleasure. We appreciate all the help they provided to keep us safe and to keep the group moving at a very comfortable pace. There was no rubber banding to speak of. We rode tight and in good formation and left no room for any vehicles to infiltrate. Bob & Sue followed behind in their 4 wheeled vehicle, and the police cruiser with blue lights flashing, brought up the rear. The line of bikes was impressive. Full size American flags were mounted on the first few bikes at the front, as well as on the last few at the back. Many people waved as we went through their towns. Yes, there were a couple of minor hiccups & a few miscommunications enroute, but no "heckawe" turns were needed to get us back on track. Whew!
The festivities at the VFW were enjoyed by all and included raffles, giveaways, good food and even a brief visit by the ice cream man.
Thank You to VFW Post #638 in Marlborough for letting us use their facility as our ride destination this year. Burgers and dogs on the grill, including other assorted fixins' made the BBQ just great. "Props" to both the set up and cooking crews that arrived at the VFW in the morning to make sure everything was ready for the riders as they pulled in after the 1½ hour ride. A superb job of grilling, once again.
The donations from the day of the ride along with the money that had been previously donated, comes to over $2,300, ALL of which will go directly to aid our military veterans. Our slogan for this year was "Give Something Back, Support our Veterans". Everyone who was there on Sunday did just that.
And of this, we can all be proud.
The members of Chapter 239 would like to thank all those who participated in this event. Together, we were all able to make this day a complete success.
We hope to see you all at the 4th Annual BVQ Ride in 2010.
