Southeast Saskatchewan might've heard the loud roaring of 77 motorcycles yesterday, as the 26th edition of the Motorcycle Run for the Ronald McDonald House drew crowds for a good cause.
"It's an awesome turnout and it's wonderful to see how many people actually want to give to this charity there. It's a great charity. A lot of people that I know have used it...and love the charity as well. We need to keep it going and we hope to keep doing it for a few more years," expressed Christine White, the organizer for the event.
McDonald's in Estevan was packed throughout the afternoon with bikers from southeast Saskatchewan looking to register for the event. After a few photos, the bikers kicked off the trek to the Crossroads Inn in Stoughton. Paired up two-by-two on the highway, the group of riders took advantage of the weather and took the long way around. They made their way through Lampman, up to Arcola, and drove on the Red Coat Trail to end the trip in Stoughton. Overall, the event raised over $8000 for the charity.
For years, the Prairie Winds women's motorcycle club ran the event. However, in 2024, they handed the reins to Christina and the Crossroads Inn and Bar. "It's just great to see the street covered with bikes and know that everybody is coming for a good event and a good charity," she added.
The Saskatchewan branch of Ronald McDonald House Charities are getting ready to break ground on a new 20-room house for families this fall. Karen Linsley, the director of development and communications with the charity, was elated to see the support for the event and the charity as a whole.
"I've been with Ronald McDonald for about 10 years now, so I've had the pleasure of coming down [to this event] for about 7 out of the 10 years I've worked with the organization and it was just so incredible to see people from the south end of the province supporting families of Saskatchewan and the Ronald McDonald House."
"It's just such an amazing thing to watch everybody get on their bikes and...to watch everybody just take off and to know that everybody's here for the support of Saskatchewan families. It's just awesome. It gives me goosebumps every time we ride out of the parking lot here," Linsley added.
Tim Jenish, owner and operator of the 5th Street McDonalds location said that they have been supporting the event for the last 24 years. He's seen a lot of bikers roll through the parking lot in support of the charity. He shared the one request he remembered he had to turn down from years past. "There's one where we had a request to have a burnout facility for the motorbikes. We thought that wouldn't go over very well with the city police or some of the residents that live in the area, so we passed on that."
"[The Regina facility is] a facility that's needed, and especially because it helps families, that families stay together, which is very important in the healing process of any family," Jenish added.
The ride ended with a beef-on-a-bun dinner and raffle draws for prizes donated by local businesses.