The Kansas Sidewinders Motorcycle Club spent part of its weekend raising money and awareness for Beacon for Hope Suicide Prevention.
The club’s first-ever local poker run community event brought over 30 participants to downtown Emporia on Saturday. Club spokesman Jason Munday was beaming as riders left the 10 block of West Seventh for the ride.
Saturday’s ride included stops in Olpe, Gridley, New Strawn and Lebo. Munday says suicide prevention is becoming a focal point for the club.
Beacon for Hope Director Melissa Owen was pleased to see the turnout and the new partnership develop.
The Sidewinders typically create fundraisers for club members and have raised money for local ALS patient Danny Williams. Munday says the Sidewinders are looking to develop other community events in and around Emporia like the parent chapter in Ellinwood has done.
Meanwhile, Beacon for Hope is continuing a busy fall schedule, which included several events last month and continues this month with a car show benefiting the Flint Hills Technical College Wrangler Pantry on Oct. 12 and the Mad! Sad! Glad! children’s event at the Fairgrounds Anderson Building on Oct. 29. Beacon also continues its early work to use a $30,000 grant from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to reach residents in southeast Kansas, and Owen says Beacon has had success in setting events at Independence, Iola and West Elk schools. Community events are coming in several southeast Kansas communities as well.
