OROVILLE – Stan and Tina Janowitz appeared before the Oroville City Council to talk about plans for this year’s Run for the Boarder event scheduled for Saturday, May 16.

The event is organized by the Columbia River Harley Owners Group as a charity ride from Wenatchee to Oroville on Armed Forces Day to raise money for a worthy cause. This year the funds raised are earmarked to help Heather and Heidi Flowers, two Wenatchee sisters in their late twenties who suffer from Spina Bifida, said Stan Janowitz.

“The money raised will help them to make their house and van more accessible,” he said.

“In its first year, 2003, the ride raised $12,000 and in 2008 we raised $38,000. Over $148,000 for local causes over the last six years,” Janowitz said. “Most of you might have seen the little boy we helped last year with a big smile on his face as he got a ride in the sidecar.”

Janowitz then asked if the group could have the same format as last year, blocking parts of Golden and 14th Streets for parking.

“It allows all the bikes to be in view and might stop some of the people who might not have stopped in town otherwise,” he said.

Although the group plans on having the fund-raising dinner and auction in Cashmere again this year, he suspects the auction may be a bit lower key this year because of the economy. Oroville will be donating something to the auction.

Stan Janowitz and his wife are the northernmost members of the Columbia River HOGs, but Ken Taylor and Bill Dowd of Oroville are avid motorcycle riders that said they would help coordinate things on this end of the ride.

“We are looking at setting up something like a motorcycle rodeo. They can be pretty fun. We’d probably limit it to three things, but anything we can do to try to keep people to stick around would be good,” said Taylor.

Riders of all makes of motorcycles are welcome to ride along from Wenatchee. In the past some cyclists from the north end of the county have ridden to Pateros and merged with the group there, rather than riding to Wenatchee the night before.

Friday night, May 15 is the dinner, fundraiser and live entertainment held at the Cashmere Riverside Center located at 201 Riverside Drive.

Organizers say more than a mile of motorcycles will depart the Wenatchee Food Pavilion Parking lot at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 16 and head north to the Canadian border, arrving in Oroville about 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.