Biker Heaven – South Carolina

General Putman Shrine Club Annual Poker Run was held at the Eagle One Truck Stop in Eatonton on Saturday morning, April 5, and registration started at 9 o'clock. This is one of the annual events that the Traveling Men sponsor every year to raise money for the Shriners Hospital and other projects. When I left home the weatherman was talking about rain all day, and it was not going to clear up. I promised that I was going to be there so I headed out for Eatonton. Just outside of Eatonton I saw one brave soul sitting on the side of the road with an SUV sitting behind him. I just figured that he was taking a break from the rain. Later I found out that that his bike had quit on him.

When I arrived there were very few bikers on hand. One of the things I have learned about the Shriners is when they tell you they are going to show up, they show up. At 10 o'clock it came time to ride to Covington to the Five O'clock Somewhere Bar and Grill. There were at least 12 bikes up front and just as many cars loaded down with Shriners following. When this wet group of bikers rode up to the bar and grill you could not tell they had ridden through some pretty rough weather. Everyone was smiling as they walked into the restaurant for a warm drink and a hot meal. After the meal they had a 50/50 drawing and gave away door prizes. The last I heard they had raised around $7000.

Biker Sunday was held April 6 at the First Baptist Church on South Broad Street near the Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. I had wanted to attend this event for the last few years. After a few hours of sleep at home Sunday morning I headed out to Clinton. I was thinking that I might be able to get some coffee and maybe a sausage biscuit since they were going to have a free breakfast and lunch for the bikers. I soon found out that we were going to have coffee, orange juice plus gravy and biscuits for breakfast. Well, like always, I arrived too early and almost beat the church members there. At 7 o'clock one gentleman came and unlocked the doors and turned on the lights. About the time I was asking him about Mandy Snow she walked in. She told me that at 8:30 they were going to have a traditional service for the regular church members and Biker Sunday would take place at 10 a.m. The guest speaker was Russ Clear, a former member of the Club Eighty-One and now currently a member of Power Force. It is hard for me to get used to this new type of traveling preacher. Russ gave a moving sermon to a church full of bikers and non-bikers alike. Big Al was on hand filming Biker Sunday for a segment for a show called Carolina Cruiser. I finally got to meet Hayley, the co-host of Carolina Cruiser. Carolina Cruiser comes on Channel 62 every Saturday evening at 6:30. I liked meeting Hayley more than meeting with Russ Clear, the evangelist. She is a fine-looking bitch all decked out in her boots and leathers. I had to take a few photos of her on the bike with her co-host, Big Al. I like women that don't say too much and know that they look good riding their bike all dressed out. On the show Hayley lets Big Al do all the talking. She loves to ride on Big Al's gas tank and she lets her co-host do all the driving. Well, I guess it is hard for a seven-pound Jack Russell to reach the handlebars.

After a fine lunch of BBQ and beans I headed over to the Copeland Plaza parking lot for the Bub Lollis Whitten Center Spring Run. When I first arrived there were just a few bikes in the parking lot. Oh, by the way, the only thing at Copeland Plaza was the parking lot. Sometime earlier this year they tore down all the buildings that were standing there. There were two vendors on hand. One vendor was selling food and the other was selling T-shirts and pins. Both were connected with the ride. This is one of the rides that you can donate money or something that the residents can use like shampoo, toothpaste or adult diapers, etc. When it came time to ride this bunch of bikers didn't beat around the bush. You hardly had time to warm your engine up. You turn the key on your bike and you are pulling out of the parking lot. Over 300 bikes pulled out and headed toward the Whitten Center with 84-year-old Bub Lollis leading the way. The residents were lined up along the road that ran inside Whitten Center grounds to wave and catch a glimpse of the bikers as they rode through. It gave me a good feeling to see the smiling faces of the residents in wheelchairs and sitting in chairs as we passed. Now I understand why the bikers left out as fast as they did. Most of the residents at the center can't sit outside for a long period of time. After the ride through the center the riders gathered at the Mission Plaza.

This was another weekend that I had promised to be in too many places during the same weekend. I think I do it on purpose some weekends just to be around other bikers and take photos of their bikes. For some reason my body just can't take these 300 or 400-mile rides over the weekend like I did in my younger days. It feels strange to go to an event that I have not attended before and meet new bikers. I have realized that bikers are the same no matter where you go. Bikers just like to have their picture taken with the hope that it may make it into a magazine. The most important thing of all that bikers want to do is to ride and do something good for their community.

By Tommy Pittard