ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking to get some fresh air while also helping support a good cause will soon have just that opportunity thanks to a local business.
Billy's Ayr Lanes will be hosting a Bikes At Billy's event the weekend of Sept. 20. That day, registration will be from 3 to 6:30 p.m., free barbecue for all participants starting at 5 p.m., and then a live band starting at 7 p.m. The official ride out will be Sept. 21, with the first ride out at 9:30 a.m. from Billy's Ayr Lanes and the last ride out at 11 a.m. The ride will include stops at the Old Meade County Museum, the Big Beaver in Beaver, Okla. and the Chamber of Commerce in Hooker, Okla. (home of the Horny Toads) before returning to Billy's Ayr Lanes. The cost is $25 per registration card, and all the proceeds will go to the Liberal High School Unified Bowling Team.
As coordinator Bill Hill tells it, the inspiration for the event actually came to him a while ago.
“A few years ago, we were involved with someone who hosted a motorcycle poker run, and it had a great turnout, and that inspired us to do a small motorcycle show to test the waters, so to speak. I'd been thinking about it and thinking about it, and at this year's Yellow Brick Road Car Show, we had a few motorcycle entries that were just gorgeous, and they really stuck in my mind and after that, I decided we needed to do a big event of our own with motorcycles that included a fun run,” Hill said. “Shortly after the car show, I had to go to Arizona because there was some work being done on my house there, so I had plenty of time to think and do come up with an outline for this event. I made some phone calls while I was there, and everyone I talked to said they thought it would be a great idea for us to do such an event. Normally, with motorcycle-centric events, it's only one day where riders come, check in, do the run and then head home.”
But, Hill said, he wanted to do something more.
“I thought why not have this event kind of like the Yellow Brick Road Car Show and have the fun start Friday night with a band and some other fun for everyone and then have the main stuff that Saturday? I also looked at some other places and some other similar events, and among all of that, I came to the realization that while we're considered in the middle of nowhere, that also means we're in the middle of everything!” Hill said. “Liberal's got a lot to offer, and I thought of doing the fun run in a somewhat different way where the participants visit some places unique to the area, and that led me to decide on the places I did. I also figured, if some of the participants came earlier, they could also explore Liberal a little bit and visit the Coronado Museum/Dorothy's House and the Land of Oz and the Mid-America Air Museum and some other local spots. In total, the run will be less than 200 miles, we don't want to overtax the riders or any of that, so everyone should be back at Billy's early that Saturday afternoon. It looks like there's going to be a great turnout – I ordered 300 flyers and within six days, they were all gone, so I had to order more. With this year being our first time hosting this event, we are somewhat playing things by ear – if we get 20 riders, we have 20, if we have 50, we have 50, etc. But I'm hoping we have a big turnout, because we are seeing a pretty big response, and I want this to be a big annual event.”
So much so, Hill said, he’s already planning for next year and beyond.
“I'm actually already planning ahead for next year, there are a few shops that will be taking us under their wing, and I've met with all of them, so I know they want to be part of this with us, but this year just didn't work out since they were already pretty tightly scheduled,” Hill said. “But we've got that support, and they're already helping us for this year by talking about us on their social media and their Web sites and all of that, which is great. We're also already talking about some potential stops for next year, like to the Stevens County Gas Museum in Hugoton and/or the Cimarron National Grassland. The idea is, if we can get all the communities in the area involved, this could be a huge event that attracts a bunch of riders every year. And that Saturday afternoon, if people want to stop by and look at all the motorcycles, they're more than welcome to do that and make it more of a bike show environment, so it should be a great event.”
With this year being the inaugural event, Hill said there is a lot to be excited about.
“We want this to be as big of an event as the car show, this is not going to be an event where we do it just one year and then never do it again. Something else that's really getting me excited with this event is the enthusiasm I'm seeing and hearing from the people who have already committed to being part of this event,” Hill said. “There's a lot of work that's gone into this, but I think it'll overall be worth it, and I'm excited we're bringing something new to the community that should be really fun. I actually had a gentleman from near Hugoton come into the restaurant recently, and he and I got to talking about the show, and then shortly after that visit, he came back with a gorgeous brand-new Indian motorcycle, which led me to asking him if he would bring it to the event, and he said he absolutely would. The enthusiasm from everyone involved is so palpable, and everyone in the towns we'll be visiting are super excited.”
With so much enthusiasm already being seen, Hill said he hopes to see high turnout from both the Liberal community and the motorcycle community.
“I'm expecting this year's event to be big based on the feedback I've already been hearing, and since we plan on keeping this event going in the future, I expect we'll only grow and grow as time goes on. We're all just really fired up, and we would love to see families come out and admire all the different motorcycles,” Hill said. “And we're really happy to be giving the proceeds to the LHS Unified Bowling Team, they're under our wing and they're an absolutely wonderful group of kids. It's just going to be a really fun time for everyone, so come out to the restaurant and look at all the different motorcycles and just talk with everyone. We want to draw more people to this area, and I think this is a great way to do that. We want anyone and everyone possible to be part of this, no matter what brand you have. This event is not just for Harleys or just for Indians or just for Yamahas, etc., this is for EVERYONE, so we'd love to see whatever ride you have. Come out, and let's all have a great time – if you've got family visiting, bring them, or if you're just looking for something to do that weekend, come on out, because it's going to be a great time.”
