CCR 2008

So just what was it I was doing in Midway last week?

Attending the Curve Cowboy Reunion 2008.  This is a motorcycle rally originally created for riders of BMW K1200LT touring motorcycles. While most of the attendees own BMW motorcycles of some type, any motorcycle enthusiast is welcome to attend. According to the CCR website, there are three main goals: “to present a positive view of motorcycling; to promote rider education and safety; and to make a positive impact by contributing to a worthy local group serving children to help them achieve its charitable purpose in the host community.”

Here are a few of the K1200LTs. Riding on one of these is like riding in a 2-wheeled convertible. They have such a smooth and comfortable ride that my biggest fear is falling asleep and falling off. (No, I’m not driving!)

This is the third reunion I’ve attended. Typical attendance is close to 500, so we pretty much take over at whatever resort we’re at. It’s a great group of people, and we’ve made a lot of friends. Since DH goes as a vendor (he makes, sells, and installs LED lighting kits for the BMW K1200LT), we don’t get to go on the group rides, but we still have a good time.

It’s always fun to see the new and unusual. For example, there were a couple of these new Spyders, a 3-wheeled motorcycle with 2 wheels in the front and one in the rear.

And there are always some trike conversions like this one, which even had a matching trailer:

But the talk of the town was probably this one, which came with blue shag carpeting and a scrolling LED marquis on the back which read “Freelance Gynecologist at Work”.

But all silliness aside, this is really a great group of people, and they always raise a lot of money for a local charity serving children. Since the first fundraiser in 2001, which raised about $1800, the amount raised has increased dramatically. In each of the last two years, they raised $22,000. This year was the best yet – they raised $28,000 for the Wasatch County Children’s Justice Center, which provides a child-friendly environment that coordinates investigation and prosecution of child abuse. Normally this office relies on some money from the State of Utah, combined with donations from the local community. Since it’s based in Heber City, a town of only around 8000 people, you can imagine that the local contributions don’t go very far–especially when you’re relying on the same people to donate year after year. When the total donation amount was announced at the final banquet, the representatives from the CJC were speechless and in tears. But that’s the whole point – to really be able to make a difference to a community, and especially, to its children.

One of the highlights of the reunion is the silent auction – donated items are set up with bid sheets, and people can bid on them during a certain period of time. When the time’s up, the highest bidder wins. Usually the items are motorcycle-themed, of course, but there’s also a few other items. This year, there was some jewelry, tote bags, quilted items, and a crocheted afghan. I think I’ll have to make a couple of knitted items for next year’s auction. There are a lot of female attendees who are looking to spend their money.

I’m excited about next year’s reunion, which will be held in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It should be great!