Organizers of the annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ motorcycle rally handed out over $100,000 to 24 local charities at a funding ceremony held Wednesday night at Fayetteville Town Center.
Event director Joe Giles said he was thrilled to reach the $100,000 milestone, which had been a personal goal of his since he took over the rally two years ago.
The six-figure tally bested last year’s $90,000 in contributions, and Giles said he hopes to increase that number even further in the 15th anniversary of the motorcycle rally next year.
“There’s something special about anniversary multiples of 5, and we expect for 2014 to reflect that excitement,” he said.
Bikes, Blues & BBQ also this week presented a check to the Fayetteville Police Department for $4,274.58 to reimburse the department for a special event safety seminar officers attended in San Diego, CA earlier this year.
A full list of the charities that received donations this year is listed below. The 2014 installment of Bikes, Blues & BBQ is set for Sept. 24-27.
| Charity | 2013 Donation Amount |
|---|---|
| Big Brothers big Sisters | $1,000 |
| Camp Alliance | $5,000 |
| CASA of NWA | $1,000 |
| Children’s Safety Center | $1,000 |
| Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County | $1,000 |
| Childcare Aware | $1,000 |
| Community Creative Center | $1,000 |
| Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club | $20,000 |
| Fayetteville Public Education Foundation | $5,000 |
| First Tee | $1,000 |
| Horses for Healing | $1,000 |
| Life Source International | $1,000 |
| Life Styles, Inc. | $5,000 |
| NWA Center for Autism | $1,000 |
| NWA Economic Development District | $23,000 |
| NWA Free Health Center | $5,000 |
| Pagnozzi Charities | $5,000 |
| Peace at Home Shelter | $5,000 |
| Planned Parenthood | $2,000 |
| Seven Hills Homeless Center | $5,000 |
| Sheriff Ralph Baker Memorial Scholarship | $1,500 |
| Single Parent Scholarship Fund | $2,500 |
| Washington County 4-H Foundation | $1,000 |
| Youth Bridge | $5,000 |
