Celebrity bike builders roll into CasaBlanca for free concert, meet-and-greet

Overlaid image: Celebrity bike builder and reality television personality Len Edmondson will participate in the "Ride to the 75th" event to raise money for children's charities, and the Bikers Against Bullies Logo, location and date not specified | Media photo from Azzkikr Custom Baggers, logo courtesy of Fred, "Flash" Van de Perre, St. George News

MESQUITE, Nev. – The Black Hills Motor Classic, more commonly referred to as Sturgis or the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, will celebrate its 75th anniversary in August, and a large group of motorcycle enthusiasts, including celebrity bike builders, are celebrating with a 2,400-mile long journey. The tour, called “Ride to the 75th” will travel from Phoenix, Arizona, to Sturgis, South Dakota, as they raise money for special causes along the way.

Ride to the 75th route and stop map, location and date not specified | Image courtesy of Mesquite Gaming, St. George News Click image to enlarge
Ride to the 75th route and stop map | Image courtesy of Mesquite Gaming, St. George News | Click image to enlarge

Fred “Flash” Van de Perre is one of the ride hosts. Van de Perre founded the nonprofit organization Bikers Against Bullies USA, a group that arguably represents one of the largest anti-bullying campaigns in America, he said. 

Dave Withrow, publisher of American Bagger and Urban Bagger magazines is the other host. Withrow has over 25 years of experience in the powersports industry, according to his bio on the FirstGiving fundraising Web page for the “Ride to the 75th” event, and has been the publisher of over 20 motorcycle and automotive titles.

There are several special stops along the route the “Ride to the 75th” will take, one being a celebrity meet-and-greet and a free, 21-and-over concert held Saturday evening at the CasaBlanca Resort and Casino, 950 W. Mesquite Boulevard in Mesquite.

The bikers, 50 registered riders and counting as of Monday, Van de Perre said, will be arriving at the CasaBlanca around 5 p.m. PDT Saturday.

They will park in bike show formation in the valet area, Christian Adderson, corporate sales manager for Mesquite Gaming, said, and guests are invited to come meet and mingle with the riders and ogle at their impressive machines.

“There will be over $1 million in motorcycles there,” Van de Perre said. “Nothing compares to these bikes.”

Some of the celebrity riders include:

  • Len Edmondson | Azzkikr Custom Baggers, Biker Battleground reality television show
  • Paul Yaffe | Bagger Nation, Biker Battleground reality television show
  • “Fast” Andie Gaskins | Women’s professional cycle drag racer
  • Nick Tripi | Owner of Milwaukee Baggers
  • Matt Beckdolt | Owner of Carl Brouhard Designs
  • Throttle Girl | Philanthropist, public personality
  • Curtis Hoffman | Owner of Hoffman designs
  • Mark Brodie | NASCAR’s celebrity artist
  • Rick Ball | Owner of RC Components
  • Jeff Zielinski | Founder of Badlands Motorcycle Products, Namz Custom
  • Mark Bradshaw | Founder of Hideaway Bar and Grill, Roadhouse

“There are some really marquee people on this ride,” Van de Perre said.

Saturday night’s concert by Turn the Page – one of the best Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band tribute shows in the nation, Adderson said – will rock the CasaBlanca’s Showroom at 8:30 p.m. PDT. Again, the concert is restricted to ages 21 and over.

Both Adderson and Van de Perre said they are excited about the CasaBlanca stop. Van de Perre said the map sort of dictated the stop in Mesquite but the reason they chose the CasaBlanca as the venue was because it is so awesome.

“I had no idea what to expect until I walked in there,” Van de Perre said. “We are going to be there right at the front door.”

Adderson said:

This is a great group of friends going to an event in Sturgis that they love and raising money along the way, and we are happy to be a part of it.

About Bikers Against Bullies USA

Bikers Against Bullies USA was founded about four years ago by Van de Perre and his then 7-year-old daughter as an awareness organization that allows bikers and others to show they are in support of creating safe environments for children and to help them understand we are all different – something the organization’s website said is a safe and healthy ideal to embrace.

Ride to the 75th event flyer, location and date not specified | Flyer courtesy of Mesquite Gaming, St. George News Click image to enlarge
Ride to the 75th event flyer | Flyer courtesy of Mesquite Gaming, St. George News | Click image to enlarge

The group, now over 10,000 riders strong, focuses on the positive ramifications of making good decisions, Van de Perre said, rather than on the negative ramifications of bad ones. At the same time, it empowers youth to be confident and live their lives without fear, a concept, he said, children have embraced so much better than just being told what they can’t do.

“We teach them that it is so cool to be a good person,” Van de Perre said. “You can still be a bad a– without being a douche bag.”

Van de Perre said that with the staggeringly high numbers of child suicides today, if he spent the rest of his life with his crew raising money for this cause it would be worth it.

“It is all about the youth,” Van de Perre said, “they are our legacy.”

Each of the registered riders in the “Ride to the 75th” has committed $1,000 of his or her own money to participate in the ride. The funds will go to the chosen charities, Van de Perre said, among which are Lifescape Children’s Care in South Dakota, and Youth and Family Services.

“No reimbursement is being made to any of the riders,” Van de Perre said, adding that they are all participating out of the goodness of their hearts for the cause.

Additionally, each of the sponsor venues have pledged money to the cause as well.

The CasaBlanca Resort and Casino has teamed up with Budweiser to contribute $2,500 to the charity.

Motorcycle enthusiasts and fans alike are invited to come attend the free event and are encouraged to donate. Donations can be made online.

“People can come and take their time, we are there to meet you, to meet the people,” Van de Perre said, “and it is all free, all for you guys and we hope that you will come out and make donations to these children’s charities.”

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T  •

Event details

  • What: Ride to the 75th, celebrity bike tour, charity ride, meet-and-greet, concert
  • When: July 25 | Bikers arrive: approximately 5 p.m. PDT | Concert: 8:30 p.m. PDT
  • Where: CasaBlanca Resort and Casino, 950 W. Mesquite Boulevard, Mesquite, Nevada
  • Cost: Free
  • Additional information: The Bob Seger tribute show is free for ages 21-and-over. Biker arrival time is approximate

Resources

  • Watch “Flash” and Adderson introduce the event on YouTube
  • Donate to Bikers Against Bullies USA | Web page
  • Ride to the 75th | Website
  • Bob Seger tribute band concert flyer
  • Sturgis Motorcycle Rally | Website

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Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

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