Print Email

The crowds, the contests and the motorcycles keep Marvin Timmons looking forward to this weekend every July.

"I plan my vacation around Thunder Weekend," the Salina man said. "I ask off six months in advance."

On Tuesday, Timmons was installing a new starter on his bike, and he will spend plenty of time buffing the chrome before entering it in the Ride-In Bike Show. Entries can be made from 10 a.m. to noon, and judging in several categories is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at Maggie Mae's, 409 S. Broadway.

"It's got to be pretty -- like a showroom finish," he said.

Timmons said he volunteers to help during the event, cleaning up, bartending, watching the gates or doing whatever needs to be done.

"It's a blast," he said. "Every turn around every corner, there's something going on. You meet a lot of people, and you see a lot of nice bikes."

The eighth annual Thunder Weekend at Maggie Mae's, which raises thousands of dollars each year for Children's Miracle Network, will kick off at 6 p.m. Friday with a hog roast. There is no admission charged at the door, but donations and fees to participate in contests and events are collected for the charity.

The weekend is packed with contests, music and events -- many family-oriented -- and proceeds are used in Salina and Children's Miracle Network's 69-county Kansas region to help pay medical-related expenses for children and their families, said Mick Cayless, development officer for Via Christi Children's Miracle Network in Wichita. He said the organization helps about 50,000 children a year in the region.

"It's a great event that's been successful for a number of years now," said Cayless, who plans to be on hand during Sunday's live auction with members of a local family who have been helped by Children's Miracle Network.

"Motorcyclists, in general, are very generous people," he said. "They dig into their pockets."

If a Salina child is diagnosed with cancer, Cayless said funds raised during Thunder Weekend will help pay for the family's trips to see a pediatric oncologist. The organization also pays for medications, therapy, first-time hearing aids and wheelchairs -- items often not covered by insurance, Cayless said. Salina Regional Health Center is one of six affiliate hospitals in the region, he said.

Last year, more than $23,500 was raised for Children's Miracle Network during Thunder Weekend, said Peggy Lohf, manager of Maggie Mae's. More than $83,000 has been raised by the event and contributed to the organization during the past four years, she said.

"We're exhausted, but in the end when you give that money away it's all worth it," Lohf said.

Jill Bosley, director of Via Christi CMN, said the Thunder Weekend donation is probably the largest gift the organization receives from a local donor.

"We're very, very grateful," she said. "This is a gift from the heart."

Maggie Mae's is assisted with the event by several local business sponsors, including Sunflower Taxi, which is providing free in-town transportation, and Monarch Portraits, which will be taking photos for the bar's 2011 calendar.

Thunder Weekend draws a crowd from many different states, Lohf said. Bikers headed to the Sturgis Rally in South Dakota plan a stop in Salina on their way, and many of the participants in the Leadsled Spectacular classic car show in Oakdale Park the same weekend also attend.

Following the hog roast Friday, the band Simply Driven will perform and the Best Chest in the West contest will be at 10 p.m., with $100 cash prizes for best man and best woman.

A beer garden will be open all weekend, with vendors selling patches, leather, flags, glassware, LED lighting, pinstriping, clothing and accessories. Identification is required, and no one younger than 21 will be allowed after 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Lohf said.

On Saturday, several outdoor events are planned in addition to the bike show. A bikini bike wash starts at 11 a.m. The M&M Choppers Dyno Tech Shoot-Out from 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. involves using a Dyno Tech machine to test the horsepower and torque of engines and is open for all classes of motorcycles.

The Repeat Offenders motorcycle stunt team from Hutchinson will perform shows at 1 and 5 p.m. in the adjacent Ace Hardware parking lot.

A keg throwing contest is planned for 2 p.m., and a tattoo contest is set for 4 p.m.

An awards presentation for the winners of the shoot-out, bike show and tattoo contest will be conducted at 6 p.m.

Starting at 9 p.m., the band Hell Bent will perform, followed by a Leather & Lace contest at 10 p.m. with a $400 cash prize.

Sunday will kick off with a Biker's Breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns and biscuits and gravy from 8 to 11 a.m. Breakfast is $7 for all you can eat until the food runs out, Lohf said.

A live and silent auction is planned to start at 4 p.m. Any donated items are welcome.

Sign-up begins at 9 a.m. for a poker run, with the first bike out at 10 a.m. and the last bike in at 3 p.m. The person with the best hand will win $3,000, with $1,500 going to the runner-up and $500 to the worst hand. Winners will be announced at 6 p.m. and must be present to win or their prize will be donated directly to the charity, Lohf said.

She said in the past, many of the poker run winners have donated much of their winnings back to Children's Miracle Network. The poker run will occur rain or shine, and all vehicles are welcome on the nearly 170-mile route that starts and ends at Maggie Mae's, Lohf said.

n Reporter Erin Mathews can be reached at 822-1415 or by e-mail at emathews@salina.com.

Discuss This Story:

Email this story to a friend:

Subject:

Recipient:

Sender's email (required):



Enter text seen above: