B-N.C – When Big Spring resident Cort Hicks was laid off from his job due to Coronavirus, he used the time to build a motorcycle for his wife, Renee.
“I spent two weeks putting her together and this is the debut,” Hicks said. “I built it for my wife, and she came home the other day and told me to put it back together, it was time to ride.”
Cort and Renee were one of approximately 50 people who attended Saturday’s first annual, “Ride with the Mayor for Motorcycle Awareness.” It was the first in what Mayor Shannon Thomason says he intends to make an annual event to bring the community together and raise awareness for bikers and motorcycles on the road.
“Today is a step in the right direction – a steady momentum back towards normal – and ultimately, something we have to do,” Mayor Thomason said. “It’s summertime in West Texas, and May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. We found a way to gather safely and social distance, while still getting some sun.”
Riders came from across West Texas, including Big Spring, Knott, Midland and Odessa. Approximately 35 motorcycles lined the parking lot of the City Council Chambers, as bikers set up to start the event.
Retired Big Spring residents Larry and Jennan Swafford have been cooped up for several weeks due to Coronavirus. Saturday was an opportunity for them to get out and have fun, without thinking about the recent stresses caused by the pandemic.
“We don’t have to wear a mask to do this,” Jeannan Swafford said. “It’s Biker Safety Awareness Month, and we’re ready to get out and ride.”
Bikers came from as far away from Midland and Odessa to join the ride, including Patricio Saenz. He, along with riders Ace, Gabe and Gato from Midland, heard about the event on social media. Saenz, an essential employee in the service industry, said he would like to see a monthly gathering in Big Spring for riders, especially since Midland and Odessa show no signs of re-opening at the level of Howard County.
“We’re not lucky enough to stay home like many others, so we work, ride, work, ride. If they were to have these monthly we would jump on the bikes and ride over here,” Saenz said.
Most of the bikers said they would like to have a monthly event that would offer more opportunities for bikers in the region to get to know one another and ride as a group more often.
“Bikers are a different breed,” Jan Benford, one of the riders at “Ride with the Mayor” said. “We get a bad rap because of our clothes and tattoos, but we’re legit people with legit jobs just like everyone else. It would be nice to get out and ride with others who have the same interests.”
Those in attendance received swag bags provided by the Big Spring Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. With temperatures topping 106 degrees during the ride, bikers afterwards were mostly hot but happy. When asked if he intends to make this a monthly event, Mayor Thomason said he is considering it.
“It felt great,” Cort Hicks said. “You just don’t know. If you don’t ride, you just don’t know.”
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Source: Big Spring Herald