DAHLONEGA, GA — The Long Reach Long Riders completed their sixth-annual charity motorcycle ride, covering close to 2,500 miles and raising over $42,000 for the ESTA Foundation’s Behind the Scenes program and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The combined LRLR total raised since the first ride in 2004 has now exceeded $200,000. Donations for the 2009 ride will be accepted until Sept. 1, 2009.
In all, 18 motorcycles and up to three chase vehicles made the week-long trip, passing over mountains, through lush farmland, past sweeping vistas and through a number of National and State Parks. The ride began in Richmond, Va. and ended in Dahlonega, Ga.
The scenic highways including the Skyline Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Cherohala Skyway. The itinerary also included some challenging twists and turns including “The Snake” in Shady Valley, Tenn. and the Dragon’s Tail in Robbinsville, N.C.
This year’s list of riders and chase car drivers included volunteers from 13 states, the District of Columbia, British Columbia, Canada and as far away as London.
Greg Williams, Alice Neff, and Moe and Christine Conn organized the ride. The bikes represented were Harley Davidson (10), Honda (3), Kawasaki (2), BMW (1), Suzuki (1) and Vespa (1). The oldest bike on the trip was the 1987 K-75 BMW driven by Frank “Mr. Murphy” Stewart.
Next year’s ride will start in San Francisco, Calif. For more information on the riders, joining the ride or making a donation, please visit www.lrlr.org.
