Harley-Davidson of Michigan City held their 24th annual Blue Ball Run on Saturday, November 11. Proceeds from the event benefited Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve to give toys to children with parents that might not be able to afford them.
Katlyn Slater, office and finance manager at Harley-Davidson of Michigan City, considers this to be one of their biggest events every year.
“The Blue Ball Run is always special because it’s typically the last ride of the season before it gets too cold,” Slater said.
Riders were able to sign up starting at 9 a.m. A variety of novice and experienced riders were able to share the morning talking with one another and enjoying the chili that was provided before the bikes took off at 11 a.m.
One person who was a newcomer to the event was Quentin Tracy, who considers himself a new rider in the community. Tracy, who didn’t even partake in riding half a decade ago, became intrigued with becoming a part of it after seeing his friends and family members having fun with it.
“My uncle helped me get into riding,” Tracy said. “Since I bought my first bike, I’ve been doing a lot of casual rides with my friends. It’s exciting because this is the first time I’ve done an organized ride.”
On top of an organized experience, Tracy has grown to become fond of opportunities to become a more social rider.
“I think these opportunities are fantastic,” Tracy said. “I actually started out as mostly a solo rider, but I’ve started to socialize more over time. It’s a great experience.”
Xavier Pruitt and Greg Blackmon came to this event wearing matching jackets. They wore them to represent the Buffalo Soldiers of the United State Army, specifically the 9th and 10th cavalry.
Pruitt describes how they jump at opportunities to support events that go toward a positive cause.
“We’ve been going strong with about 100 chapels worldwide,” Pruitt said. “We support the homeless, veterans and also Toys for Tots. I did 20 years with the Navy and Marines, so I’ve been fortunate enough to work together with Toys for Tots for a while now.”
Blackmon was equally as excited to honor the Buffalo Soldiers for this event while being very appreciative of Harley-Davidson organizing this ride.
“We’ve been going strong for decades,” Blackmon said. “There’s always a lot of enjoyment meeting other people that like riding. It’s an honor to be here and help out the community when we can.”
While Harley-Davidson has kept this event consistent over the years, the weather always plays a crucial part at this time of the year. As for this year’s event, it was characterized by warmer weather and sunshine.
Slater was pleased with the turnout and appreciates the consistent support Harley-Davidson receives.
“Harley-Davidson is all about supporting the community,” Slater said. “It’s for everyone that comes by with their rides and we’ve tried to create a lot of opportunities for positive experiences with events such as this one.”
For more information about Harley-Davidson of Michigan City, please visit their website.
