Motorcycle season has officially kicked off with the return of the Badlands Blessing of the Bikes and charity poker run on Saturday, May 7. The Blessing of the Bikes was a regular tradition in the Drumheller Valley and was put on a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its previous organizers have since moved out of the community and Jeremy MacKenzie of Hoodoo Voodoo has taken up the torch to organize what he hopes will once again become an annual tradition to support and celebrate the local riding community. The poker run from Yavis’ Prop Lounge to Rosedale, Rockyford, Carbon, and ending at the Last Chance Saloon raised a total of $350 for the local Salvation Army, with a large portion of the winnings donated back to the pot according to Mr. MacKenzie; $250 in donations were also collected towards a GoFundMe for fellow rider John Punter from Eckville who was recently involved in a serious motorcycle accident. Salvation Army Majors Robert and Laura Burrell attended the event to pray for a safe riding season and offer individual blessings and prayers for some 25 riders who attended.
