The 11th Annual Realities Ride & Rally, held in Northern Colorado over Memorial Day Weekend, was the most successful to date. Record-breaking funds were raised during the rally, which included 3,100 riders and an estimated 15,000 attendees. The Realities Ride and Rally supports Realities for Children Charities, a 501(c)3 charitable organization providing emergency funding for abused, neglected, and at-risk youth in Larimer County.
"For the first time ever the Realities Ride crossed the $100,000 mark in fundraising for our emergency fund supporting abused children," said Craig Secher, ride organizer and President of Realities for Children, "This success is a direct result of all the hard work our team and supporters put into creating this event."
More than 300 volunteers helped create and showcase an amazing array of attractions, including the Thunder Mountain Harley Davidson skydiving presentation of our nation's Colors in conjunction with the Rattlesnake Reservoir Young Marines. In special tribute to Webb Rivard, who ran the Colorado Colorfest Tattoo Contest at the Realities Ride for so many years and passed last December, the Tattoo Contest was re-named Webb's Colorfest.
Many attendees also enjoyed new attractions like the Battle in the Fort IV Strongman Competition presented by Anytime Fitness, Hot Rod Show and the Law Tigers "viewing lift" in Old Town as well as old favorites like the Budweiser Beer Garden, Freakshow Tattoo Burn Out Pits, Suicidal Lifestyles Stunt Team by Monster Energy, and the Biker Rodeo. Two stages hosted 34 live bands and provided an amazing array of entertainment over the weekend. The festivities in Old Town Fort Collins included a myriad of prizes and one lucky attendee won the $3,500 Custom Paint Job from Newstalgia Custom Paint.
Riders enjoyed the brand-new, 100-mile scenic ride through Northern Colorado this year. The Texas Hold 'em inspired poker game played during the run dealt one rider a straight flush of diamonds to the Queen. That lucky winner got $1,500 cash. Stops included lunch in Masonville, Fickle Park in Berthoud, Bar Double S in LaPorte, the TBar in Wellington and, of course, the final stop in Old Town Fort Collins. Each community will benefit from the Realities Ride through donations to local youth agencies. Thanks to the volunteers and the support from those attending, the real success of the Realities Ride is the help it provides to abused and neglected children across Larimer County. If you missed this year's festivities, be sure to mark your calendar for Memorial Day Weekend 2013 where you can help us makeevery mile count for a local child in need.
