A local fundraiser is gearing up to bring motorcycle enthusiasts and the community together for a ride and good time at a brewery all for a good cause this weekend.
A local fundraiser is gearing up to bring motorcycle enthusiasts and the community together for a ride and good time at a brewery all for a good cause this weekend.
Heroes Run Charity Ride and Gathering, an annual motorcycle charity ride and event, is back again for its second year to bring the community together at Hardywood on Sunday for Connor’s Heroes, a charity that helps families with children who have cancer.
“We assemble at Hardywood and ride for about an hour probably about 50, 60 miles will ride out into the countryside and then we’ll return to Hardywood and we’ll have three bands that we’ll play, we’ll be selling raffle tickets and shirts and at the end we’ll raffle off a custom motorcycle that I built,” said co-founder Justin Spears.
Spears, a mechanic for Richmond Ford, launched Heroe’s Run along with friend Joe Davenport last September.
All of the proceeds from the event will go to Connor’s Heroes. Last year, the group raised almost $8,000 at the event at Capital Ale House and so far Heroe’s Run as raised $3,700 for this event. Spears said they’re shooting for $15,000 for this year’s event.
The organizers are raffling off a hand-built, hand-painted 1983 Harley Davidson Sportster, which was pieced together from parts from different shops.
Spears, who built the bike himself, reached out to Chopcult.com, a forum for riders who build and ride custom motorcycles, for help on this event.
“It’s about chopping up motorcycles and making them cool essentially,” Spears said.
The two worked with Chop Cult last year and Spears said this year he contacted the Editor-in-Chief for Chop Cult Lisa Ballard about building a bike.
“ I contacted Lisa with the idea to build a bike with mostly all donated parts from Chop Cult-affiliated sponsors,” said Spears.
Spears said over 20 companies donated a part for the bike for the event, which someone will win at the fundraiser. Some of the shops that donated parts for the motorcycle include Lowbrow Customs, Biltwell, Fulton Paint Works, Voodoo Vintage. Haifley Bros. Throttle Addiction, Zombie Performance, Badwolf Brand, and Choppahead. See the full list here.
Spears estimated the cost of the bike at $5,000.
Davenport came to Spears with the idea originally of putting on a charity event that focused on motorcycles after meeting and talking with Lisa Goodwin, co-founder of Connor’s Heroes.
“After we got to thinking about it, there’s really not much else that we could think that needs a charitable donation more than families that have children with cancer,” Spears said. “It was a good fit right from the beginning.”
The Heroe’s Run Charity Ride and Gathering kicks off this Sunday Sept. 13. The ride is from 11:30 am to 2 pm and the party at Hardywood starts at 2 pm and runs until 5 pm.
Spears expects 400-500 people for the event. Raffle tickets ae $25 and you can buy yours here. Also follow this awesome charity event on their instagram @heroes_run.
