Rides & Rods 2010 was held on June 13, 2010 at the Centre Hall American Legion and was sponsored by the Americas Guardians MC, PA2A Chapter and the American Legion #779.  This year's event was put on to raise money for The Fisher House Foundation.  The Fisher House program supports America's military in their time of need by providing a "home away from home" that enables veterans' family members to be close to their loved one at the most stressful time, during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.  To learn more about the Fisher House Foundation, be sure to visit their website, http://fisherhouse.org/.

         With such a great cause established, Rides & Rods was determined to put on an event that would honor those that have made sacrifices for us.  With that said, there was plenty to do and see!  In addition to a poker run, many other attractions were taking place all over the grounds! 

            Vendors lined the parking lot and included A.B.A.T.E. of PA, Bestline Powersports Inc., Moosewood Laser Creations, Central PA Street Machines, King's Funnelcakes and Ride Wide Open to name a few.

            Other attractions such as the Army Stryker brought to us by Charlie Co., 2nd Batalion, 112th Inf (M) was a huge hit as spectators were able to climb inside and get a hands-on experience on this sophisticated piece of machinery.  Centre Hall Fire Company also brought a fire truck for the spectators to see as well.  And Ride Wide Open G Girls were on hand selling bottled water, raffle tickets and providing photo ops. 

            A car, truck, and motorcycle show brought in vehicles from near and far, ranging from Williamsport to Altoona and Lewistown.  Approx. 40 vehicles and 6 bikes were registered before the day was through. 

            Despite the threatening and intermittent rain showers, the poker run brought in over 113 riders and almost 50 co-riders!  First-timer Angie Hockenberry was the lucky one as she won the high hand on the poker run and scored $150.  Congratulations Angie!

We also had CMA on hand to offer bike blessings and more.  Many thanks for coming out and providing our event with your blessings!

            Bike games also sprawled the grounds drawing a large crowd.  First timer Gene Maylock with his new red Ducati sportbike, named Francesa, took part in the bike games with RWO G Girl Charity, and proved that he can run with the big dogs on the grass too! Way to go Gene!  America's Guardians MC member, Scott "Scooter" Weaver also took part, accompanied by his girlfriend Amanda.  Kudos goes out to Amanda for being a fierce first-timer competitive on the bike games as well!

            And last but certainly not least was the generous bands, sound, and DJ personnel that helped to make this day an even bigger success!  Special thanks goes to the bands, Big Daddy Bangers, Shiver, Nite Kast, and G211 for generously donating your amazing talent to us this day.  Unfortunately Mother Nature kept us from hearing G211, but I will be sure to make it out to hear them play real soon!  Thanks also goes to GP Audio for providing the sound, stage, etc. for the bands all day long, you guys/gals did great!  And finally Party Player Entertainment who kept us bopping from 10am and all throughout the day between the band sets.  Be sure to check out RWO Rock It's section for more on the bands!

            Finally, many thanks goes to all the supporters, sponsors, vendors, riders, co-riders, show participants, spectators and all those that made donations, as well as the volunteers that helped to make this event a huge success. Approximately $5000 was raised for the Fisher House Foundation and it makes for a great feeling to know that through all the hard work, late nights, and countless hours there will be a family, maybe even more, that will not have to worry about their housing costs while supporting their loved one.  For a complete list of sponsors of this event, visit the Rides & Rods website.

For more CAGER stuff, check out Steve's Cager Corner article on Rides & Rods!

And don't forget! Visit RWO Events Gallery for photos of this event and more!

By Crystal G.

Crystal G., aka G, is the founder of Ride Wide Open.  RWO's purpose is to bring the local motorcycle and car clubs together, provide a centralized location for the many rides and events happening in Central PA and beyond, as well as provide a vehicle for these groups to get their information out to our fellow riders and enthusiasts of street bikes, dirt bikes, cars, bands, and more for FREE. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her own bike, a Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom, or with her hubby on his Victory Jackpot, and spending time with her kiddos.

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