Bike rally raises over $5,000 for Evan Graham Memorial Scholarship Fund
The air filled with the chugs and revs of high-powered engines as riders lined up for the second annual Thunder Valley Motorcycle Poker Run.
The run was started from the Woodstock Royal Canadian Legion on July 25 with approximately 120 participants, according to organizer Erik Black.
The rally, as the name suggests, was structured as a poker run, meaning that at stops along the 180 km route, participants were given a card to mark on their score sheets.
Those with high-value hands at the end of the ride were given a variety of prizes such as gift cards to The River Restaurant, bike equipment, or travel mugs.
Alongside the rally itself, the event also hosted food trucks throughout the day and a dance in the evening with local band Double D.
Black said this year’s event had more than quadrupled last year’s attendance.
“It’s everything – the town, the community, advertising and word of mouth, people that came last time told more friends, [and] their friends told more friends,” he said.
“The group quadrupled this year [so there’s] probably going to be more next year. Hopefully it doesn’t quadruple next year,” joked Crabbe.
Organizers also highlighted the preparation it took to make the run a reality.
“A lot of planning [went into the event] with the food trucks and the vendors and the Legion for using the building, and the town,” said Black, speaking on the logistical side of the run.
Organizers also highlighted the efforts of the event volunteers and the generosity of the event sponsors.
The event, now an annual occurrence, is held in memory of Evan Graham, a local high school student who tragically passed in an ATV crash in 2020.
“A lot of people in town know what that cause is for; it’s very important to the community [and] of course the Graham family, [who] are very, very nice people… but to do this for them in memory of their son,” said Black.
A total of $5,572 was raised over the course of the event, with all funds going toward the Evan Graham Memorial Scholarship Fund.
