Long Reach Long Riders: Ten years of creating the fun in … · 2015-05-28 · String Quartet found their place into the lrlr hearts that July 4th, ... Long Reach Long Riders: Ten

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All I reAlly wAnted to do was find

something new (and inexpensive) to put in

my booth at USItt. After talking with Greg

williams and Michael Banvard, we thought

that maybe riding motorcycles across the

US and parking them in the booth might

be fun. eric McAfee sealed the deal when

he suggested it could be a charity ride. we

were thinking it would be a one-time trip.

we were wrong.

2013 marks the 10th annual long reach

long riders charity motorcycle ride, and

what a ride it’s been! From that day in

March 2004, when we left Greg and Alice’s

house in Boone, nC (in the snow!) right

up to arriving in Seattle, wA at the end of

last year’s ride, the long reach long riders

(lrlr) have had the best time. ever.

Some quick facts. In the first nine years,

the lrlr have:

n raised more than $350,000

n ridden close to 30,000 miles

n Squashed more than 1,357,000 bugs

n Passed out more than 15,000 kazoos

n Made friends with more people than we

can remember

n Made a difference in many people’s lives

we have seen bears, deer, moose, foxes,

eagles, hawks, bison, something dark and

furry that ran in front of Greg’s bike, and

the gamut of other flora and fauna. the ride

has witnessed two marriage proposals,

both of which were accepted. there was the

year that doug the duck, my bike mascot,

was abducted and held hostage for the

better part of the week. ransom notes were

exchanged and threats offered, but it all

ended well, and doug was returned to me in

the Grand Canyon north rim lodge . . . on

a serving platter.

we all remember the afternoon in rapid

City, Sd when a 10-year-old British lad

named Henry bested each and every one of

the riders on the high speed indoor go-karts.

one of the more poignant moments

took place in the large lobby of the

lake yellowstone hotel. A string quartet

was playing for the tourists, most of

whom paid no attention. Until we stopped

in. Handel, Haydn, and Mozart were

interwoven with Queen and lynyrd Skynyrd

(play “Freebird,” I yelled), and magic

happened. there wasn’t a dry eye in the

house when the last strains of “Ashokan

Farewell” drifted off into the night. the lake

String Quartet found their place into the

lrlr hearts that July 4th, and they won’t

soon be forgotten.

did I mention that there was scenery?

no, not the kind you see on stage but the

real kind. dry and barren but supremely

beautiful deserts in texas and new

Mexico; the canyons of Arizona, nevada,

and Utah; snow covered mountains and

beautiful lakes and rivers as far as the

eye can see; and of course, Carhenge in

western nebraska.

Long Reach Long Riders: Ten years of creating the fun in fundraising By Bill SapSiS

100% of the funds raised benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The ESTA Foundation’s Behind the Scenes program

. . . [kazoos] are, without a doubt, the best marketing idea ever.

Richard and Molly pilbrow greet the 2004 long Beach long Riders as they arrive at the Hyatt.

2006 at Wounded Knee Cemetery on the lakota pine Ridge indian Reservation in South Dakota.

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the ride has not been without its more

somber moments. Visits to the Alamo and

the wounded Knee Burial Ground offered

contemplation and introspection.

there were awkward moments

too, of course, especially when a rider

inadvertently dropped his bike. I did it in a

gas station. rental bikes went over frequently,

mostly in the dirt. Pat dropped his bike while

offering kazoos to two young women in a

restaurant parking lot. of course.

Speaking of kazoos . . . they are, without

a doubt, the best marketing idea ever.

Greg’s the guy who came up with it, and

now there are literally hundreds of parents,

tour guides, and restaurant patrons

Group shot in 2010 in the Sierra Nevada range.

lRlRs make a stop at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

a 2007 lunch stop at lori Rubinstein and John McGraw’s with a dip in the lake.

Chillin’ at Carhenge in western Nebraska.

Bill Sapsis rides sweep somewhere on the plains.

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around the country who hate us. rumor

has it that we are not allowed back in the

Mt. rushmore coffee shop. ever. well done,

Greg. well done, indeed.

weather always plays a factor when riding

a motorcycle for over a week. one day it’s

sunny and warm, and the next day you

are facing a chilly rain. Crossing lizard

Head Pass (elevation 10,222') just outside

of telluride, Co, we ran into it all. In the

space of 25 miles, we had rain, snow, sleet,

and, to add insult to injury, hail. we have

encountered headwinds on the Great Plains

that can stop a charging Harley. once,

we sought shelter from a thunderstorm

under a bridge in west texas for hours. A

bank building on the edge of rapid City,

Sd has a sign that shows the current date

and temperature. As we rode into town in

2006 the temperature was 114°. the rain in

texas almost cut short my first ride when I

slid along beside a panel van on I-10 near

Houston. How we missed each other I don’t

know, but I’m not complaining.

But all of this, the excitement of the ride,

the scenery, the thrill of the open road, is

nothing compared to the people who make

the trip. over the years, we have had more

than 55 riders and passengers and over a

dozen chase car drivers. Most of the folks

have ridden or chased for multiple years.

our support teams have stayed with us from

the beginning. while it may be true that

bonds are formed out of necessity when

riding together for a week, that doesn’t

come close to explaining the friendship and

love we have for each other. there is nothing

we won’t do for one another. we look out

for, and protect each other, on the road and

we laugh and sing—and, yes, we play kazoos

when we are not riding. rob Hamilton put

it best when someone asked him what he

expected on that first ride with a group

of strangers. He said, “the worst thing that

could happen is John Mayberry and I drive

all the way across America and have to

pay for the rental van. It turned out to be

the adventure of a lifetime.”

It has been said that one is very lucky

to recognize a defining moment in their

life even if that awareness doesn’t come

until years later. well, I must be the luckiest

guy around because I realized what it was

as it was happening. I will never forget

the euphoric feeling rising in my chest as

we drove up to the Hyatt in long Beach

that first year. After six days of pounding

highway, blazing sun, and truckers on CBs,

The 10th annual Long Reach Long Riders charity motorcycle ride will take place in the Great Lakes region. The rolling landscapes, deep forests, and huge water of the upper Midwest will serve as the backdrop for the 2013 version of the LRLR ride, which has been dubbed “10 Great years, Five Great Lakes.”

The riders will gather in Cleveland, OH on June 28 and head out early the next morning for a counter-clockwise tour of Lakes Erie, Michigan, Superior, Huron, and Ontario before returning to Cleveland eight days later. The riders will visit 4,000-year-old sand dunes, stunning shorelines, waterfalls, islands, and more. They will also learn for themselves the difference between “yoopers” and “Trolls.” US riders will need their passports for the two-day excursion into Canada, and a couple of scenic ferry rides are included once again by popular demand.

Riders raise funds for Behind the Scenes, which provides financial support to entertainment technology professionals when they are ill or injured, and for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the nation’s leading industry-based HIV/AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization.

Ride marshal Scott “Hop Along” Henkels noted, “The Great Lakes region has great scenery and terrific bike roads, and it’s central enough to let more riders join us, either for the entire ride or for a day or two. Ten years is a terrific milestone, and we want as many riders as possible to share this achievement with us.”

To make a donation, see photos, and read about past rides, visit www.lrlr.org. To join the 2013 ride contact [email protected].

How to join as a rider or sponsor a rider “It turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime.”

pat Barnes experienced his bike going down in 2004.

2011 in Glacier National park

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alamo Mission near San antonio, TX, site of the Battle of the alamo in 1836.

The lRlRs invade Cooke City, MT in 2006.

Greg Williams and Moe Conn

Mingus Mill in the Great Smoky Mountains National park, near Cherokee, NC in 2009.

David Edelstein joined the 2005 ride from the UK.

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Bill Sapsis’ bike in Boone, NC is greeted by snow before “kickstands up!”

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we had arrived safe and sound. the fact

that richard and Molly Pilbrow were our

welcoming committee was icing on the cake.

we often get asked, as a group and

individually, why we do this ride year

after year. this adventure doesn’t

assemble itself. It takes a lot of time

and effort to organize the routes, hotels,

meals, and all the logistics involved in

pushing 20 to 30 people around the

countryside. It’s not cheap either. the riders

pay all of their own expenses. First and

foremost, this is a charity ride, a fact that the

riders never forget. we ride so that others

may benefit. Broadway Cares/equity Fights

AIdS and the eStA Foundation’s Behind

the Scenes program provide financial

support, care, and love for people in need.

the long reach long riders, through the

ride and the raffle at the USItt conference,

have raised more than $350,000 to help both

charities carry out their mission. we have

met some of the Behind the Scenes grant

recipients and get to see, firsthand, what a

difference we have made in their lives. we

were honored to have a grant recipient ride

with us a few years back.

the world is not always a friendly

place and, as the bumper sticker says,

“Sh*t happens.” the long reach long

riders discovered early on just what

“doing their part” can mean to someone in

need, and we will continue to ride as long as

that need exists.

So join us, either as a rider or a sponsor. I

promise you that it will make your day, and

you will never listen to a kazoo the same

way again. n

Bil l Sapsis has been lead ing the charge a t saps i s r igg ing , inc . s ince 1981. b i l l i s the cha i r o f the r igg ing work ing group, a member o f the etcp counc i l , and cha i r o f the sub jec t mat te r exper t commit tee fo r the etcp r igg ing cer t i f i ca t ion . he i s a found ing member o f the Long reach Long r iders and was named the rec ip ient o f the eva swan award , pLasa in nor th amer i ca ’s h ighes t honor in 2010.

First and foremost, this is a charity ride, a fact that the riders never forget.