Brad’s Run 2021

By: Len “3 Wheel” Montgomery

Were you to ask around your community about

any local club to see what kind of people make up their membership, you would certainly get varying opinions. Some good, some bad. Many ill-informed. But if you REALLY want to know about a club, watch how they remember their fallen brothers and how they help those who aren’t in a position to help themselves. This is one of those stories.

Brad’s Run began as a memorial ride to honor and remember Brad Pelletier who was a member of Evilution MC, Raleigh. Brad lost his life in 2013 when his bike was struck by a car driven by an intoxicated woman who was on her phone (please put those phones away and watch where you’re driving). Honoring their fallen brother, Evilution has remained dedicated to Brad’s Run and fostered its evolution over the years. A few years after the first memorial run, Evilution member Jersey Bill Chappelle lost his brother Tom Chappelle to brain cancer. As Tom had undergone treatment at Duke, it was decided that Brad’s Run would become a fund raiser to help fight brain cancer.

The run takes place each year on the first Saturday of March. As in years past, the run begins at Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson of Raleigh, NC. Registration began at 11 am, but there were many folks out and about much earlier in preparation. It was a very nice day for a ride. It was $10 per person to register. You could get in on the 50/50 raffle. $20 would get you a string of tickets that wrapped completely around the 2002 Harley Davidson Sportster 883 that was on display at the registration booth. The Sportster will be given away October 2, 2021 at Evilution’s 10th Anniversary Party. Tickets on the Sportster are $20 each. Just see a member any time between now and October.

By the time the pre-ride meeting was called there were roughly fifty bikes gathered. Shortly thereafter riders mounted up for a relaxing ride which made its way from Raleigh to Angier and then back to Evilution’s clubhouse. Riders pulled in and were greeted by the smell of BBQ pork chops. Russell Byrd was the cook for the day, and I can tell you, his sauce is pretty tasty. As were the pork chops, fixin’s and desserts.

The club’s new mascot, Charlie, had everyone stopping by the t-shirt table (Charlie is a miniature black goat). Plenty of refreshments were available. And people were registering for Chicken Shit Bingo. If you haven’t heard of Chicken Shit Bingo, it’s pretty much what it sounds like. You buy a square on the card which is lining the bottom of the cage. Add the

chicken, some feed, and eventually that chicken is going to shit in a square. If you own the square, you win!

At the end of the day, the event raised $1,732 which went to Angels Among Us. Angels Among Us, a celebration of life, strength, courage and commitment. Donations are used for brain tumor research and education and may be endowed to provide ongoing support of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, per their website.

Thank you to Evilution for allowing me to participate in the day. And for indulging my many questions so that I could accurately relay the history of the event to the readers. This is a great group of bikers doing biker shit. You know, like showing love to those who need it most.