2011 Wounded Warrior Project Donation
Riding Into History Raises $25,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project
Jacksonville, FL, June 22, 2011
The 12th Annual Riding Into History, May 20-21 at the World Golf Village, featured the finest field of classic, vintage and antique motorcycles ever seen at the Concours d’Elegance. Not only did the event attract huge number of motorcycles with over 350 pre-registered, but also the quality of entries exceeded anything seen in past years. BMW Motorcycle Owners of Northeast Florida (BMWNEF) was once again the main presenter of the event.
RIH Chairman Larry Meeker led the group of about 100 volunteers from BMWNEF and other supporting organizations, including the Historic Motorcycle Society, the Chrome Divas and the Christian Motorcycle Association. He was on hand at BMWNEF’s June meeting to present a check for $25,000 to Jennifer Herdman of the Wounded Warrior Project.
Spaces for exhibitors and clubs were all filled, and the spectator crowd was estimated at 4-5,000. A good number of patrons arrived with the rides that originated at Ton Up Jacksonville and Harley-Davidson of St. Augustine. This was the year of the European motorcycle at Riding Into History.
The top awards went to some very deserving motorcycle owners, including the Preservation Award for Chris Toro’s 1952 Aermacci Cigno, the Best European Motorcycle for the beautiful 1964 BMW R50 owned by Jim Busse, The Chairman’s Award for Joel Green’s Mick Andrews Replica Ossa, and the Best in Show to the 1925 Henderson Delux proudly presented by Doc Schweinler.
Kevin Schwantz, the 1993 MotoGP World Champion, was this year’s Grand Marshal, and he did an outstanding job presenting awards at the Concours, leading the Grand Marshal’s Historic Ride into St. Augustine and speaking at the Grand Marshal’s Dinner. Both the ride and the dinner were sold out, and the Legends Grill at World Golf Village, a new RIH dinner venue, proved to be a popular choice. One highlight of the Friday night dinner was the presentation of the Dusty Miller Award for Generosity to Michelle and Mark Todd of Sargent Cycle Products, longtime sponsors of RIH.