Sturgis Rally week celebrity-charity event to become annual ride

ZZ Top performed after the ride!
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DEADWOOD, S.D. (8/13/08) -- Over 250 Sturgis Rally goers joined an all-star roster of celebrities from film, television and the world of premium cigars for the first annual Legends Ride, a celebrity-charity event produced by the Legendary Buffalo Chip.

The Legends Ride was held on Thursday, Aug. 7, during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The Buffalo Chip announced that 100 percent of each rider's fee would be contributed directly to the charity of choice and nearly $38,000 was raised for the Kids & Chrome Foundation in this inaugural year. Among those making the 50-mile ride were Discovery Channel Bike Builders Roger Bourget, Jerry Covington, Roland Sands and Yasuyoshi "Chica" Chikazawa.

The City of Deadwood was one of the Legends Ride's major sponsors and graciously hosted the Ride's start, actually blocking off part of its Main Street for staging. The Legends Ride was held during the Sturgis Rally and filled Deadwood's historic Main Street with hundreds of motorcycles, said Lon Nordbye, Jr., events coordinator for the Legendary Buffalo Chip.

"The response we have received from this year's inaugural event has been overwhelming," said Nordbye. "Our primary goal moving forward is to make this annual event bigger and better every year to help raise even more money for charity. The 2008 Legends Ride was the start of something truly special."

All Deadwood's officials and its business community were very supportive of the bikers and the event, said Rod Woodruff, who added that the Buffalo Chip is extremely pleased that the city of Deadwood has chosen to support this ride and is looking forward to working with the city again for the 2009 Legends Ride.

The Chip also extends an extra-special note of appreciation to all the law enforcement agencies that helped make the Legends Ride such a success. The cooperation of the Deadwood Police Department, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, the Meade County Sheriff's Office and the Sturgis Police Department made the ride ever more joyful and safe as every intersection was patrolled.

"We couldn't be happier with the direction this is going," said George Milos, director of the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce.  "It raised a lot of money for a very good cause.  It's been a very exciting event for this city."

The 2008 Legends Ride's charity beneficiary was the Kids & Chrome Foundation, which benefits the Children's Home Society of South Dakota and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame. The society provides a home and help for children with emotional or behavioral problems. The museum preserves the history of motorcycling and honors those who have advanced the sport.

"What was fun about the ride is that it gave people the opportunity to ride their motorcycles, see the Black Hills, enjoy food, drinks and concerts that featured the red hot country duo, Sugarland and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers ZZ Top at the Buffalo Chip -- and raise a phenomenal amount of money for Kids & Chrome," said Darla Crown of the Children's Home Society.

The Buffalo Chip gives a special thanks to Deadwood Tobacco for helping arrange the support of the city of Deadwood, to Sucker Punch Sally's and other blue chip sponsors that included Anheuser-Busch, Bruce Rossmeyer's Destination Daytona, Coca Cola Bottling Company, Cabela's, First Western Bank, Knology, Neugebauer's Fine Jewelry, Taser International, Victory Motorcycles and Wrangler Jeanswear.

For information about next year's Legends Ride, visit LegendsRide.com or contact the Legendary Buffalo Chip at the (605) 347-9000.