Some rides are just to have fun, but the majority are to raise funds for a charity. For instance, the Watertown Chrome Divas put on their annual Ta-Ta Run every year for local breast cancer services.
(All the pictures in this blog post are from the Diva's 2017 Ta-Ta Ride, their 10th year of putting it on.)
So we #atFXCHD thought we'd give you the highlights on how you can make this happen, on the off chance you'd like to set up a charity ride.
CHOOSING YOUR CHARITY
You may already have a charity in mind, or perhaps you're still in the process of choosing one that you feel a connection to. Either way, be sure to contact them and get permission to raise funds (it sounds weird I know, but sometimes they have rules for such things). Also get their permission to use their logos on your flyers to promote your ride. An added bonus: see if a few people from the charity you've chosen can be there for your ride - connecting a face to the cause will help immensely.
SETTING THE DATE
Sounds easy enough, doesn't it? Except that you'll want to remember major holidays (because people will be spending time with family/friends) and other bike rallies & events in your area (because they'll be going to Thousand Islands River Run, Americade or Laconia instead of going on your ride).
You'll also want to decide on a rain date - usually the following weekend - in case you need to postpone it. We recommend giving yourself at least six months to get your ride all put together.
YOU'RE NOT A ONE MAN BAND
Get some friends/volunteers to help you, cuz you're gonna need it. From organizing, to planning the route, to finding give-aways and sponsors, and getting Bikers signed up on the day of the ride, plus a lot more - there's absolutely no way you'll be able to get it all done by yourself. Decide who is going to do what and meet regularly to see what's going on and where everyone is at.
Choose your starting and end points. Using a start point at FX Caprara Harley-Davidson (or your local Harley dealership) is great because we will help promote your ride, we have room enough in our parking lot, able to set up tables and chairs to register your riders, and have free coffee and donuts for everyone the day of. Plus, everyone loves going to a Harley dealer!!
THE RIDE AND THE ROUTE
Next you'll want to decide what type of ride to do: scavenger hunt, poker run, or guided ride. The hunt gives a chance for everyone to do it on their own time and meet up at the end point. For both the poker run & guided rides you will need a group of Bikers to lead it. And for the poker run you'll need a deck of cards, score cards and prizes or part of the pot to award at the end. Some groups give out prizes for the best & worst hand, which gives everyone a chance to have a great time.
As for the Route: look for scenic rides along well paved roads with little traffic, so don't think of riding through the middle of downtown - the goal is to keep your group together & safe.
If your group is going to be large, you might want to ask local law enforcement weeks in advance to block large intersections for you. Or you can break up into two or three smaller groups. Remember: only law enforcement can block traffic - we advise you or any of your crew not to do it yourselves on the ride.
Raising funds for a charity means you'll have to put a price on your ride. If you're having any sort of food, drink and entertainment at the end, and the cost of that isn't being covered by your sponsors, then you'll have to consider this going into the price of the ride as well.
You can sell early tickets at a reduced rate - this will give you an idea of how many people to expect (and also a way to contact them should you need to enact the rain date). And/or if you set the price at $25 per rider or vehicle and they hand you $30, you can ask if they'd like to put the $5 change towards 50/50.
Wrist bands will need to be given to those that have registered so you can easily see who has paid for the ride and who hasn't. Designing buttons, patches and/or t-shirts to sell to commemorate your charity run will help keep your event in the minds of the participants for next year's ride as well.
GET THEIR JOHN HANCOCK
Registering Bikers for your ride, you'll want them to sign a release waiver - they have to know that each person will be liable if involved in an accident. You may wish to check with an insurance agent for a liability policy and an attorney to draw up the release form.
Getting the word out, now that you've got it all organized, is key to getting people to go on your ride. Tell everyone: bike dealerships and local repair shops, restaurants, bars and at all the bike nights you can go to. Start a Facebook Event Page and consider putting it on Eventbrite.com. Tell all the local clubs- the local H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group), Motorcycle & Riding Clubs in your area. If you can, get the local tv and radio stations involved. Don't just tell them once either, tell everyone lots of times - especially the closer you get to your event. This is an absolute must if you're wanting any sort of turn out for your ride!!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
---And there you have it: the keys to organizing a motorcycle ride for charity. As you can see, it is quite a lot of work... but done correctly it will also be a lot of fun with old friends, plus you'll make new ones.
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