Run for the Border this Saturday

OROVILLE – More than 300 motorcycles and riders are expected to participate in this Saturday’s 10th Annual Run for the Border charity ride, which will roar into Oroville sometime before 1 p.m.

The Columbia River Harley Owners Group (HOG) hosts the annual ride, which starts in Wenatchee at 11 a.m., breaks in Pateros around 10 a.m. and then arrives in Oroville between 12:30 and 1 p.m. The ride, which is not limited to Harley Davidsons, picks up quite a few area riders who travel south to Pateros in the morning and then make the trip north with the rest of the pack. The money raised is used to help honorably discharged veterans and their families… assisting their physical, financial and emotional needs, according to Stan and Tina Janowicz, Columbia River HOG members who are coordinating the ride from the north end.

Once the riders get to downtown Oroville a large section of the east side of Main Street and parts of Golden and 14th Streets will be set aside for the motorcyclists to park their rides. The public is welcome to come and have a look at the wide variety of American machines, everything from antiques and classics to modern bikes, as well as a smattering of other makes.

“This event is about vets helping vets,” said Stan Janowicz, who appeared before Oroville’s City Council at the end of March.

“We provided 30 dinners and boxes of groceries at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also helped a young vet going through surgery get caught up with some things,” added Janowicz, who expressed his gratitude for the assistance the town and Oroville Police Department has given in past years.

There is a $10 fee, which includes a ride pin. Riders from Oroville and elsewhere in the county have been known to ride to Wenatchee the day before to join in Saturday’s 150-mile ride, while others ride to Pateros on Saturday morning to join the group there and travel back up to Oroville.

Justin Peterson will also host a Nacho Feed in Oroville for the riders on Saturday. The event is to raise money for the Inland Northwest Honor Flights, an organization that flies WWII veterans to Washington, D.C. to see their memorial. The nacho feed will be held at the Eagles at lunch time. A second nacho feed will be held that same evening for residents of Oroville and the surrounding area at 5 p.m.