While motorcycle aficionados are likely looking forward to the return of the Hollister Motorcycle Rally this weekend, local nonprofits are also excited about what the revived event means for them.
Some local organizations will see a direct benefit from the rally either from supplying volunteers to help with the logistics, selling food or beer to visitors or through other outside activities that will be helped by the increased traffic anticipated downtown on Friday and Saturday.
Some of the nonprofits involved in helping with the rally this year include the Holliser Downtown Association, the Rotary Club, the Elk’s Club, Bethany Club, the League of United Latin American Citizens and more. Rally Promoter Mark Cresswell, of Worldwide Dynamics, said he was still finalizing the roster of volunteers the week before the rally.
Mickie Luna, National LULAC vice president, farwest region, said LULAC members had been involved in past rallies with a taco booth. She said they were busy organizing volunteers into shifts the week before the rally to help with parking as well as a motorcycle “coat check” where visitors will be able to check helmets and leather clothing. The money they make at the rally will go towards sending members of the LULAC youth council to leadership conferences and retreats.
“I’m just glad we were given the opportunity even if we came in late,” Luna said, noting that with the national conference they had connected with rally manager Cresswell just a few weeks ago. “There are 66 youths or student members and then 44 young adults.”
She said many of the students who helped with past rallies will be returning from their summer breaks at universities or colleges to help out this year. Adults will be supervising the high school students and will be in charge of watching over any items checked through the coat check. Luna said the group will also have a taco booth, behind the Veterans Memorial Building, where they will be helping with parking.
Chuck Reynolds said the Hollister United Methodist Church is expecting to see much higher numbers at their annual all-you-can-eat breakfast this year compared to the least four years without a sanctioned event.
“We’ve continued it but it was not very successful,” Reynolds said of the years without an official rally.
He said the church has advertised the breakfast that will be held Friday and Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the church on the corner of Fifth and Monterey streets, in two biker magazines, on Worldwide Dynamics’ website and in the local newspaper.
“We are planning on 600 bikers,” he said, noting that their highest meal count was 1,000 over a three-day weekend. “It helps our church. It is a slow time in the summer – people go on vacations but our expenses continue. It has always helped us get through the rough months.”
Other nonprofits will be selling food during the rally, with the Rotary Club of Hollister and local veterans groups providing two beer garden locations.
Cresswell said profits from the rally will be split between covering the expenses of the rally, with profits going to the city and the nonprofits that provide volunteers. He said the nonprofits will get a split based on what job they were assigned.
“Community involvement is vital to me,” he said. “We had to see these guys willing to put effort in for me to get a warm, fuzzy feeling about this town. It should be a major benefit of this rally.”
He said moving forward into the 2014 rally he would like to see more nonprofits “realize there is potential for money making and will be beating a path to our doors.”
The San Benito Arts Council coordinated a biker-themed art show that will be open during the rally at the Blak Sage Gallery with special hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The show, “Freedom, Rebellion and Adventure,” features pieces from artists who live locally as well as some from as far north as San Francisco down to the Salinas area.
“We didn’t want to take the theme too literally so we expanded the concept of the show to include not just images of bikes or bikers, but things we naturally associate with this American subculture,” said Jennifer Laine, the executive director of the Arts Council.
She said the gallery will have commemorative rally posters on sale as well as buttons, along with all the artwork on display. The posters and buttons benefit the Arts Council programs.
“We’re hoping we will mainly benefit just by the sheer volume of people downtown,” she said. “We are the perfect location to have a lot of people walking by. We are hoping we get a lot of foot traffic and will create awareness of the gallery – that we have this gem.”
The gallery will sell sodas during the rally and will have snacks on hand. Laine said promoter Cresswell and the local Top Hatters have expressed an interest in art.
“My feeling is the rally is in really good hands,” Laine said. “I am excited to see what it brings this year. I hope it is a positive experience for everybody.”
