The valleys will echo with the sounds of hundreds of motorcycles when the Kids and Cancer Motorcycle Benefit Run comes back for its 27th year July 27.
Even if you don’t own a bike, you can join in the fun during the annual Kids and Cancer Bike Show, held the night before from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the parking lot of Ace Hardware in Bradford.
“We are going to have a great pre-party show with live music, giveaways and we will award four different bikes throughout the evening,” said Jim Copeland, who is on the planning committee for the event.
“We expect some really nice bikes this year including some older restoration bikes from the ’70s and they will be a treat to see.”
Copeland expects that somewhere between 300 and 400 bikes will attend the event – perhaps more if the weather is favorable. The 90 mile run was first introduced in 1998 as a way to encourage motorcyclists to travel in and around the Allegany National Forest and Kinzua Dam area, in addition to raising funds for a good cause. Over the years, they have raised over $900,000 to give to local charities and people in need.
“I think this year we are going to make it to $1 million that we have raised in total, after this run,” said Copeland.
Kids and Cancer regularly donates money to the Ronal McDonald House and the Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Shriners International amongst other organizations.
“Mainly we donate to charities and needy people who are within a 100 mile radius,” Copeland said.
“We get requests for aid and we usually give the recipient a $500 Visa gift card so that they can spend it on whatever they specifically need.”
Copeland noted that some nights, their committee fills requests to help 13 to 14 people a month.
“This organization is all made up of volunteers and we don’t see a dime of that money, it goes right into the hands of folks who need it,” Copeland said.
Registration for the run will be held from 9 to 11:45 a.m. in the Zippo Manufacturing Co. parking lot at 401 Congress St. Registration will be $25 per person or $15 per rider. Early birds can get a sale on this year’s T-shirt design for only $10 by registering early. The same shirt will be on sale during the event for $20. There will also be event lighters for sale, and the first 500 participants will receive a free pin.
Following registration, Casey Smith will bless the bikes and then it will be time to take off. The bikes are set to parade through Bradford at roughly noon.
“It really is something to see when we all get going in our line,” Copeland said.
“People just line the streets to get a look.”
The bikes will head to the Barrel House Restaurant and Tavern in Lantz Corners, then Flickerwood Wine Cellars in Kane, The Shaw House in Sheffield, Pine Acres Golf and RV Resort in Bradford and then back to East Main Street in Bradford.
There, they will hold an afterparty that will include a performance from Vinny and the Mudflaps beginning at 2:30 p.m.
There will also be several auctions to raise even more money for the charity. Every year, the committee raffles off a custom Case Bowie knife. This year’s will be the last Bowie knife auctioned off, as it is being discontinued.
“This knife is very special because it is the last one we will have – Case Cutlery is putting the Bowie knife to rest” Copeland said.
“The knives have always been very popular at our auctions, last year’s knife went for $3,000,” he added.
The 2024 Harley of Hope will also be up for grabs in a 50/50 raffle. This year’s bike is an all black 2024 Harley Davidson Road King Special.
“This is just a beautiful bike and everyone so far who has seen it thinks it is pretty cool how it is all blacked out,” Copeland said.
“We want to encourage everyone to come down and buy a ticket because there will only be 2,500 tickets sold, so the odds are quite good.”
