8 th Annual Walkin’ Roll Fundraiser & Dice Run

8th Annual Walkin’ Roll Fundraiser & Dice Run

Story an oto yAlan Do ery

Rain, rain, go away ... but you can’t keep Hickory bikers from getting out to play and raise money for a great local charity.

The morning started cloudy and misty at The Maniax RC clubhouse. By the next stop it was raining. Hey, Summer rain ain’t that bad so the riders pressed on. Folks were laughing about being wet, “From balls to boots.”

Anywho, the turnout at the end for the 8th Annual Walkin’ Roll Fundraiser and Dice Run in Hickory, NC, was still good. About 350 people participated and raised $10,606.75 on a rainy day. I love my biker buddies for reasons like this.

Sherrill and Shannon Baxter, Duane Gibbs and a core group of friends have organized an event to raise money for the Walkin’ Roll Activities League, Inc, for eight years. They are a non-profit providing free activities for children and adults with developmental disabilities. This year’s ride brings the eight-year total to just shy of $150,000 raised.

“Our league is a league of abilities, not disabilities. Our purpose is to provide quality activities in a fun atmosphere and develop each player’s potential to the fullest,” said Director, Sharon Barlow.

The Walkin’ Roll Dice Run has a new ending point at the Crawdads Baseball Stadium. I expect The Crawdads will be a major partner for years.

At the stadium there were lots of fresh off the grill hamburgers and hot dogs, Carolina Style, with ice cold Pepsi, too. Frosty adult beverages were available. A DJ: Richard Carle was cranking out a variety of tunes. Yes, you might have seen me doing The Wobble. There were door prizes and auctions.

The rain eventually quit early that afternoon and we moved to the parking lot to splash in puddles. The dune buggy guys and gals showed up with some cool buggies. They were a big hit giving rides around the parking lot. Motorheads were checking out the machines and asking questions. The local Shriners Gator Patrol was there giving rides, too. Kids and adults always came back smiling and wanting to ride again in another Gator or buggy.

Honest, I forgot my bathing suit, or I would have taken a turn in the Dunking Booth. A few local biker celebrities got in and got wet.

As the afternoon wound down, donations were auctioned off and the prizes awarded. High Roll was won by Kip Little and Kim Lowrance. Richard and Patsy James had the lowest score. Both winners donated their winnings back!

“Given today’s weather it took a lot of dedication to come out and ride today,” Sherrill said. “It rained all the way from the start to the stadium. In one storm it was like swimming on a motorsickle, but once you get that wet you keep going.”

“There are lots of folks to thank for making this year’s Walkin’ Roll happen,” Sherrill said. “Thanks to all the volunteers and riders who made the ride a success. Special thanks to our major sponsors, Mike Johnson Toyota, Hickory Crawdads (host), David Dellinger of The Maintenance Company, Rayburn Smith of Ray-Jerr Racing and the DICE Band, who rocked out the stadium! Also special thanks to Paulette Mojica, and as always, I greatly appreciate Lunnie Bollinger and the dune buggy drivers for being there. Special thanks

to Maniax RC and the Street Survivors. This year we were joined by Dennis Griggs and The Shriner Gator Patrol. Thanks guys and I hope to see y’all next year! All these people made a special effort to donate their time and money to help the folks who benefit from Walkin’ Roll activities.”

“I have a special thank you to Skip Moser and the Hickory Crawdads. I am blessed to have partnered with them to host this and our future Walkin’ Roll annual fundraisers and I am looking forward to working with them to make this fundraiser even more exciting. Who knows what’s next?”

“We made this year’s budget and all monies raised will pay for a year of activities. Thank you all, again. I am humbled by your support,” Sherrill said.

For more information on the Activities League, how to participate in their events and assist with the Activities Center visit www.walkinroll.org.

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