Yuma Prison Run Motorcycle Rally

Tonight is going to be VERY brief as it is day two of the Yuma Prison Run Motorcycle Rally. This rally has been going on annually for the last 49 years. What is really cool about this run was that even from it's inception, it has been dedicated towards the betterment of children's charities. This run started in 1961 and has run continuously ever since. Some of the main charities that were donated to this year were The United Yuma Firefighters Child Burn Survivor Program, The Make-A-Wish Foundation and Olive Crest Homes for Abused Children.

The event, as usual was great. The vendors were set up and ready for business by noon on Friday and we stayed open for as long as our customers wanted us to. Since the entry fee included camping, many people either took tents, motorcycle tent trailers or motor homes onto the Yuma County Fairgrounds and spent the weekend camping at the event. This allowed for people to wander all over vendor village throughout the evening without feeling rushed. Also by being on premises, the event allowed the vendors to feel relaxed and to stay open for as long as we wanted to. The only rules were that we were to begin business by noon on Friday and we have to be off premises by noon on Sunday. All other hours are defined by each vendor.

We liked to open early, so as to catch the avid motorcyclists who wanted to clean their scoot before the day's rides began. On Saturday, we were open for business by 7:30 am and finally closed our tent down by 9 pm. Tomorrow we will be open no later than 7:30 and will close down and pack up by noon. The people here were awesome. The attendance was as good, if not better than it was last year and this is also in light of the fact that Arizona Bike Week shifted it's event to this same weekend.

It was great to see that attendance for the Yuma Prison Run did not suffer because Arizona Bike Week fell on the same time. I suspect that we didn't see a decrease because this is so much more than just a motorcycle rally. It is an event put on by a highly respected club, the Norwalk Centaurs is a family-oriented club and that is reflected very strongly in the annual Yuma Prison Run that they host every year.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend this event, I would highly recommend that you make the effort. Again, the focus is to raise money for children's charities, and there are lots of children in attendance. These kids not only wander around to meet everyone, but they spend a good bit of time working the event also. It is heartwarming to see the love and generosity from the bikers towards the children and hopefully this tradition will continue for the next 49 years. Even better, we hope to be able to attend as vendors for the next 49 years (and that puts me at....no, we won't go there...). If you want more information on the annual Yuma Prison Run, please visit their website at www.yumaprisonrun.net.

Until tomorrow...