I once heard that the older you get, the faster time seems to fly by and I think whoever said it was right. I cannot believe that nearly half of 2017 is already over. The 25th of March found riders down on the west coast in the Clearwater area showing up to support a “Rock the Cure” benefit for the American Cancer Society at Quaker Steak & Lube. The afternoon was jam packed with great music provided by several bands—Come Back Alice, Sweet Spot, Green Light Go and Gary Schutt. The restaurant also donated 15 percent of the day’s sales to the cause… Earlier that day in Lake County the Shamrock Lounge in Leesburg hosted the annual “Because Bikers Care” benefit. The Knight Riders were the hosting group for this event that benefits the food banks of Lake County. Registration was at the Shamrock, followed by a short ride to the Pickle Barrel, then Pugs Pub, JJ’s Lounge and Steve’s Lounge before ending at the Golden Horseshoe in Leesburg. As well as the money collected from the participants to ride, there were collection boxes at each stop for donations of nonperishable foods… And over on the east side of the state that day, the Misfit Angels held their fifth annual poker run to benefit four individuals from the area. The ride started in three locations; in Seminole County the starting point was the Shovelhead Lounge, in West Volusia County, it was Critters Bar in Deltona, and in East Volusia, Rudy’s Crossroads in Holly Hill. Each group took a different route but they all ended up at the Barn in Sanford. The after-party consisted of lunch, a bike show, raffles and entertainment provided by seven bands—Gun Shy, Hollow Point, Bar Fly, Boggy Creek, Thrill Ville, Rollin’ Heavy and Two’s Company… Easter weekend was rather quiet as it should be but after that the weather just got better and better and on the 22nd of April, one of the oldest riding groups held their annual Spring Fling ride. The Cruisers, now of Lake County, started many years ago in the West Orange County area and they’re still going strong. This year the theme of the ride was “Key West” and a prize was given for the best costume. The day started with registration at the clubhouse on State Road 19 in Umatilla and ended back at the same location for the after-party… In downtown Orlando that same day, Johnny’s Fillin’ Station was the site of the inaugural Ella Reese Foundation Poker Run. Riders were out by 9:00 a.m. and back to Johnny’s by 2:00 p.m. after making several stops at other watering holes in the south Orlando and Osceola County area. Ella Fights Back is an organization that provides assistance to children and the families of children suffering from childhood cancers… On that same afternoon, the Hideaway in Tavares was the site of a Celebration of Life for Tony “Superman” Hendrickson. Tony and his wife, Thumper, are well loved in the area and that was very obvious at the event. Several friends, including Reverend Al Paquette, shared memories and kind words of the man they had known over the years. Tony will be sorely missed, that’s for sure… As I close this month’s dissertation I’d like to congratulate Lucky U Cycles in Wildwood. They celebrated their 10th anniversary on April 8 with free food, adult beverages and lots of prizes. The popular band Hypersona provided the background music. Till next time, ride safe and God bless.
