More than 300 motorcyclists from around the region, Western Canada and as far away as Alaska descended on Westlock on Aug. 4 for the fifth annual Ride for STARS.
Attendance at the annual event was boosted by the fact the ride coincided with a motorcycle rally hosted by the Gold Wing Road Riders.
“There’s no headcount, but I can tell just from looking around,” said ride organizer Ted Brooks.
STARS Air Ambulance is the charity of choice for the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, Brooks explained.
“It’s just our favourite charity because of those connections,” said Brooks. “We’ve raised $61,000 in the last four years and it’ll be even more this year.”
Brooks said the association hoped to raise a total of $5,000 this summer, noting the attendance rate had increased.
The charity ride began with an 8 a.m. pancake breakfast at the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre on Sunday, with riders leaving the area shortly afterwards.
Riders went for a ride through the region, visiting the Fallen Four memorial in Mayerthorpe and making a pitstop in the small community of Gunn along Highway 43.
The fifth Regional J Rally for riders is hosted annually across Western Canada and Alaska. In Westlock this year, it helped raise money for the STARS Air Ambulance and the perks of financial contributions to a worthwhile cause has been gaining traction with the biking community ever since the event started in 2009.
“It’s a major benefit for all Albertans to have the STARS service available to us — motorcyclists especially,” said participant Bill Sorensen. “Because we lose all of the arguments on the road.”
This year’s event in Westlock was the first local ride with an interprovincial rally. It included bike enthusiasts from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Yukon and Alaska.
Cyclists from other parts of the country might not be familiar with the benefits of Stars, Brooks added, but event organizers were voicing their goals loudly on Sunday morning. Brooks said his organizers were making a point in helping its participants understand the cause.
“We’ve done a good job of making announcements so far,” he explained before the group departed. “Plus, I have some personal reasons for (supporting) STARS. First of all, one of my employees a few years ago was badly burned in a house fire and STARS came to her rescue — she is literally alive today because of it and there’s other personal connection for everyone here.”
For more information, visit www.stars.ca.
