Colin’s Benefit Run

Colin’s Run was a success, after all the bike smoke cleared we placed into a charity fund $4356.52.

For the High Country District who has done nothing event wise, in the three years I have been District Manager, with just Five or so members that attend, and a smaller amount that actually vote, My wife, Lynnette Marshall and I did amazingly well.

We had put together a plan, and we executed it on our own. Our Emergency meeting for Colin was unattended except for our Business Member Lynnette Marshall and my wife and I. At our May meeting we brought forth our plan, showed our flyer explained our plan of action, and all that did show were all in Favor. Thank you ALR Post #78 M.M.A. members for helping us. Initially we did reach out to our fellow M.M.A. members since we had no Event experience and the feedback was a resounding: Could have heard a pin drop

In our shock and dismay, we prayed, and what we didn’t know how to do, we suddenly knew what to do, and we did!

I wanted to take this opportunity to personally thank all the M.M.A. Business members who allowed us to use them for a stop, (SMOKIN HARLEY’S, P.V. MOTORCYCLES, BLUE MOON CAFÉ, K&A CYCLES, GRAND CANYON HARLEY) Nadine’s Stuff and Things, even though a couple of them just did the Jester Run. Knowing this, we went in another direction and emailed Lenore Payne of the Black Sheep Ministry and she sent out an S.O.S., and a flood of responses came back to help, to sit with these overwhelmed Members and pass out our M.M.A. safety paraphernalia to the riders. Black Sheep provided a chase vehicle in case of breakdown, and hung out at Smokin Harley’s day of event to do whatever was needed. THANK YOU: KEN, MIKE, LENORE, DOUG, JOHN, DAWG, CURTIS, and many others I’m sure I have missed we could not have pulled it off without you!

Personal Thank you: to all of Prescott, and Prescott Valley Businesses who provided an abundance of Gift cards, and donated items for the raffle, and auction.

Personal Thank you: to The Hometown Radio Group who provided, free radio spots for Colin for a week prior to this event, Special thanks to: Allison Flannery vice president of Advertising & sales who went to bat for us with the owner Sanford.

Personal Thank you: Melcher Printing who provided posters at no cost for our sign up tables.

Personal Thank you: Mayor Harvey Skoog, for coming in to MC our raffle, auction, and fight Stony for the microphone. You donated your time for a close personal friend of yours and we love you for it! Colin loves you for it!

Personal Thank you: Mary Hart of the M.M.A. Phoenix District, You drove up here, spent time with my wife and I, taught us how to close out an event, stayed till the end, for that and your companionship, you’re a new found friend, we applaud you. You are much appreciated. What a gem you are!

Personal Thank you: Lynnette and Glenn Marshall, You provided your business, time, staff, (noise buffering to dinner customers) Cooked all day, ran all night, kept our “nest egg” safe, had Budweiser make a special banner, which by the way Glenn gave to Colin to hang in his garage. He wouldn’t have it any other way!! Big hearts. Awesome Business people. They donated 25% of all their proceeds. You out did yourselves, and I’m sure your probably still sleeping, you earned it.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone else I might be missing here, not intentional. We met many of Colin’s friends from the past to present and we were dumbfounded by the 100+ people who just showed up and donated monetarily only. Colin’s sons came up after visiting with their father. I asked them to please share his update with the crowd, (no sugar coating) and Ian exceeded my expectation. I wanted to remind the crowd why they were there spending their hard earned money. It was a sobering moment for us all. If it had been ANY one else, we would have responded in the same manner. Colin and Ian, along with Ian’s girlfriend Ann, participated in the raffling assisting Mayor Skoog, there was such abundance of gift cards we had to double down on the prizes just to get to the auction items and still be able to leave at a reasonable hour.

Total, we had 73 riders that signed up and rode; we did experience one casualty, a husband and wife here from Orange County South Black Sheep Chapter, Don and Cindy Leath. Please keep them in prayer as they heal from their injuries. To avoid running into a truck, avoiding a dog running across the road they laid their bike down. They have decided it’s time to put away the road riding. They will be missed on the road, I hope to meet them in the near future and thank them for participating in our event. I praise God he is with them.

This will be forever etched in my heart. Colin is my close family friend and we love him. We only wish we could have done more. My wife has made a scrap book of this for him to view when he is able and back among us, cause next event will be ALL HIS!!

Sincerely,
Larry Stroud
High Country District
District Manager