damn! too slow to respond!
also it kinda sucks when people can buy extra cards at the end.
it should be a luck thing not the person with the most money to spend.

 

55Bubba, there 'Ya go! The radio advertising thing is a good one! There's a classic rock station on the WI/IL state line that does this often. They'll advertise it for a month or so ahead of time, and then advertise for a live broadcast from the Start/end of the run. A lot of people usually come out for those. I don't know if the radio station would charge you for advertising since it's a charity or not, but if not I don't think you can beat it. A lot of people come to meet the D.J. and in general it will get your cause a lot of attention.

 

I Found a lot of People...and Even Myself, sometimes avoiding Poker Runs because of the time frame... On a Sunday, I might not have ALL DAY to ride... But a Morning Run, or at least a Great Destination one can go to even for a little while... pay the same amount.
I don't Think Prizes Matter much... a 70-30 Split if its a real good cause usually is enough.
Make some Easy Outs... If one Wants to Stop at the half way point, pay a "penalty" per card draw...and head right for the destination... Should be allowed. You can make the difference up on Hamburger Sales and whatnot. Silent Auctions are always fun... They can be at Each Stop along the way... You Can trade in your hand and take the chance of drawing ALL New Cards....etc etc.. A Dice Roll is always fun also.

Just an Idea... Best and God Bless... "Country Fried"

 

Well....my .02 I've done a few of these.

Great idea, first off. Stick with a poker run format. Overall they're less headaches. Reach out to other PBA's/jobs and inquire about using their property for stops. Or fire depts are great at letting you use theirs. Get out and network. Some FOP's/FD's might even consider donating a food table/BBQ at their stops. Put at least 1 or 2 of your PBA's reps at each stop. Don't make the route too long, 50-75 miles. With stops, this will be long enough, about 1.5 hours. Pick a nice route in between stops. Everyone understands they're coming out for a short run/benefit for a good cause. They know they're not coming out for an all day road adventure. You've got to have a party at the end. You'll need music/band/DJ, raffles, & food. Reach out to some motorcycle shops and see if they know of any biker apperal/biker trinket vendors that would come to set-up shop. Approach supermarkets for food donations, & beverage distributors too. FOP's are usually good for this part too. Reach out to the Pipe band, see if they'll make an appearance. And of course you'll need good prizes for the poker end of it, do a 50-50 and get various area businesses to donate things for raffle prizes....gift certificates for restaurants, biker gear, liquor stores etc etc.

Poker runs seem to get a bigger turnout. In my experience. The thought of riding with a few hundred riders I know nothing about scares me. Which one is going to day dream and not see the slow down up ahead....somebody always takes a few turns too wide, possibly causing a crash....permits, getting escorts from surrounding agencies can be a pain sometimes. Poker runs let small groups ride their own pace with their groups of friends. There's less liability too. At least a few biker's will forget about the safety brief and will ride in the safety lane causing problems for your escort officers....

Let me know if you need anything else. Good luck.

totally forgot: get Hooters girls or something for the stops too. Boot shine girls and a good cigar vendor. Consider having a car show/bike show at the end location too....

 

If there's girls involved, the event should be a success...

 

Bars(locations) with good bike parking available. Good Maps with directions through non congested areas. Run organizers visible at each stop. Spread out the stops to about an hour ride in between each.

 

Bikini bike wash for a "nominal fee" that goes towards the charity?

 

That's funny right there. I didn't know there was such a thing.

Back to the thread.

Seeing that it's PBA and Law Enforcement sponsored, I would avoid the typical biker bars for the stops (Think public relations). It's harder to do, but will "look" better. American Legion, Hooters, Carvel/Friendly's, A burger joint etc. could work. It's just a matter of explaining it to them.

How about just sponsoring a Bike Night at one of the above places?

Oh yeah, like the next guy says....Miles. Hate a 10 mile "Poker run".

 

1. wet t-shirt contest
2. nice smooth roads
3. nice stops... usually with a couple of biker bars
4. food at the end
5. 100+ miles

 

Freak - used to be with Mancow's Morning Madhouse - is the program director at WRXQ in Joliet, a biker and does stuff with local runs.