STAFF REPORTS
ST. IGNACE — For the 13th year, Kewadin Casinos proudly joins with the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) to raise awareness and funds to support the fight against Juvenile Diabetes on August 20.
During the weekend, nearly 900 riders participate by driving from Grand Rapids to St. Ignace and enjoy a host of activities that were held to accompany them into the area on their annual ride.
On Saturday morning riders are welcomed with a hot breakfast from 8 -10:30 a.m.. Vendors will be on site and a BBQ will take place from 3 -6 p.m. Proceeds from both events are given to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) with Kewadin Casinos sponsoring all costs of the event. Last year, over $7,000 was donated by the casino and the group raised $21,000 from the ride.
Based on the premise of Fun, Safety and Knowledge, GWRRA, an international association for Gold Wing and Valkyrie motorcycle Riders, Co-riders, and Associate Members, was started June 4, 1977, by seven people with a common interest in riding their motorcycles. They wanted to establish an association that would allow freedom from regulatory membership, yet provide benefits superior to those available from other, more ordinary, motorcycle groups.
Over 30 years later, the Association continues to grow and flourish.
Today there are 80,000 Members spread across the United States and 52 other countries. There are over 800 Chapters where Members gather to have fun and live the motto of “Friends for Fun, Safety and Knowledge.”
Every year Chapter Mi-G of the GWRRA organizes this large motorcycle ride, called the Midnight Ride, during which T-shirts are sold and donations are collected. The ride is held annually on the third Saturday in August, and runs from the Grand Rapids area, across the Mackinac Bridge and into St. Ignace leading to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino.
Since the ride started, a total of $333,000 has been raised by the group for the JDRF. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) is the worldwide leader in funding research to cure type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that strikes children and adults suddenly and lasts a lifetime. JDRF sets the global agenda for diabetes research and is the largest charitable funder of and advocate for diabetes science worldwide. Nearly 26 million Americans, 8.3 percent of the population, have diabetes. As many as three million Americans may have type 1 diabetes.
Each year, more than 15,000 children and 15,000 adults — approximately 80 people per day — are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the U.S. A new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 30 seconds; more than 1.9 million people are diagnosed each year.
For more information on the Gold Wing ride, visit www.gwrra-mi.org and for information on Juvenile Diabetes and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, visit http://www.jdrf.org .
