Thunder Roads Magazine of Oklahoma/Arkansas June 2014 | Page 12

EVENTS BIG KIDS HELPING LITTLE KIDS By Max Boydstun Having fun, for a good cause--Shriners and Bikers have a lot in common when it comes to raising money and awareness for kids who need help. They just go out and get the job done, even when it’s 100 degrees or below freezing, or when they’re dodging tornadoes or making last minute route changes due to flooding. Welcome to springtime in Oklahoma! The Muskogee Bedouin Shriner’s Outlaws and Lawmen Poker Run started in 2007. It has become an annual event and has one purpose: raising money for their Children’s Hospital Transportation Fund. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, June 14, in Muskogee, Okla. Please see details of this event in the ad in this issue. In the first seven years these (Shriner) “Big Kids” have raised over $65,000 with the help of almost 1,800 biker “Big Kids”! On top of that, there is a lot of fun and camaraderie at these events. There are other “partners” who also need to be recognized. The sponsors and patrons 12 Thunder Roads Magazine of OK/AR each year fund all of the expenses, including the prize money. This means 100 percent of the money collected the day of the event goes to the transportation fund. The Muskogee Chamber of Commerce/Tourism, aka: “The Chamber Chicks”, has also been involved from the b Y