M-63

14 Mile

Bingham

BITELY

Masten

Washington

Madison

Monroe

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may 2014 | Ludington daiLy newS • road trip

for BLESSING of the Road Trip to BaldwinRoad Trip Baldwin Take a

BIKES

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Pandora's BoxUnique & Unusual

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The 2014 Blessing of the Bikes is on Sunday, May 18 at 1 p.m. at the Baldwin Municipal Airport south of the village. The gates to the airport open at 9 a.m. The cost is $5 per bike and $3 for walk-in admission. No alcohol or pets are allowed.

The event has become a tradi-tion that draws a crowd. It wasn’t always that way.

The blessing started in Baldwin 42 years ago with four bikes and eight riders who wanted to do something for charity.

“They checked into records and Lake County was the most under-privileged county in Michigan,” said Para-Dice Motorcycle Club Blessing Chair June Sanborn.

Proceeds benefit the St. Ann Senior Nutrition Program.

The participating motorcyclists received a blessing at the church for a safe and happy riding season. Since then, the event has grown to help not just seniors but several Lake County charities, which open booths as vendors.

While the blessing at the Bald-win Municipal Airport south of the village has become something of a festival of biking in recent years, Sanborn said the club is trying to bring the focus back to the roots of the event.

“It’s actually a church service, it’s not a motorcycle event, per se,”

Sanborn has told the Ludington Daily News.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be live music, but it does mean less emphasis on other themes, although the flags lining M-37 and the north driveway of the airport will be there.

As always, the focus is on char-ity. The proceeds of the gate, which come from a $5 per bike donation, go to the senior meals program in Lake County. Other charities ben-efit, too.

“Every vendor on the airport, and the only ones allowed on the airport, are the nonprofits of Lake County,” Sanborn says “That money stays with them.”

“Any vendor that qualifies, what-ever they sell, they keep their total profits. That helps 15-20 non-profit organizations also to keep money. I probably get 50 to 75 calls a year

from people who want on the airport. They have to be nonprofit, have a nonprofit business number, be in Lake County and belong to the chamber of commerce.”

Sanborn suggested arriving early because the hour before the actual blessing is pretty hectic. A few people end up arriving late each year because they didn’t plan for the traffic.

Some handicap-accessible park-ing is available.

Father Ron Schneider of St. Ann’s in Baldwin will give the blessing. The longtime volunteer band led by Bobby J. Perrin of Fountain will return.

The blessing is planted in Lake County, even though the group gets requests to move it around.

“Baldwin’s going to have it prob-ably forever, as long as we can do it,” Sanborn says.

The club is made up of about 30

active members who put on the event with the help of the commu-nity.

“You have some beautiful people in Baldwin,” Sanborn says, “because if I find something is missing, I ask for help and we have not been turned down very many times.”

Everything is donated for the event.

The only expenses that come out of the gate proceeds are insurance, portable toilet costs and the fees for renting a sound system.

Sanborn reminded motorcyclists that just going to Baldwin for the weekend is not really being at the blessing.

“The T-shirts, patches and pins sold on the airport are the official blessing pins and those are all sold by our nonprofit vendors,” Sanborn says. “It’s for the seniors and we would like to see as much turnout as we can get.”

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1975 S. PM Hwy.,Suite 2, Ludington

(989) 980-2452

Deliciousbeverages,breakfast& lunchoptions

available!

RIDE SAFE!

DublinGeneralStore Homemade Jerky

Fishing & Hunting Licenses • Tackle & BaitGROCERY • LOTTERY

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231-859-412118372 Hoxeyville Rd., Wellston, MI 49689

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Woody’s Bar & GrillBlessing of the Bikes ScheduleFriday, Saturday and Sunday

- Open 8 AM - 2:30 AMServing Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner offering:

Breakfast Buffet • Brick Oven Pizzas • Woody’s Specialty Burgers and more!

Outdoor Dog Bar FREE live performances featuring: “After Hour Experience” • “Red Eye Fly”

“SFB Survive the Struggle” • “TW1” • “Until Again” • “Wild Card”“One Man Acoustic Jam”

231-745-3754 • 8773 Goldenrod, Bitely, MI 49309

BALDWINGROWWORKS/LIGHTSTORE

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722 7th StreetBaldwin, MI 49304

231-745-9257

Blessing of the Bikes 1 p.m. Sunday, May 18, Baldwin Mu-

nicipal Airport, with related events May 16-18 in downtown Baldwin

sounds from the forest at Wenger Pavilion

7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday and Sat-urday night, rain or shine, free concerts

For more info, visit www.baldwinsum merconcerts.org

irons flea roast & ox market

June 26-29 at Skinner Park east of downtown Irons, amusement rides, flea market, live music, food/beer tent, bingo, and various tournaments (soft-ball, volleyball and horse shoes). Parade at 3 p.m. beginning at the Irons Union Church.

Call (231) 266-8217 or visit www.ironsarea.com

luther logging days July 4-6, LutherA celebration of the community’s

lumber and logging heritage, interna-tional lumberjack competition with events spread over two days, a car show,

kids games, a parade, softball tourna-ment, outhouse race, and a horse pull, music and other entertainment, a hu-man vs. zombies game, Made in Michi-gan items.

Call Lori 231-629-5634 or visit www.luthermi.com or facebook.com/Luther-LoggingDays

idleWild music festnoon to 9 p.m. July 11-12Gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and soul on

the grounds of the Morton Motel, 6389 S Tacoma, Idlewild.

Artists Tywain, Yancyy-Jazz, Kathy Lamar and Benny Reeves with Paul Carey’s Soul Sensations-Motown and Blues

Donations will be accepted.Call (231) 729-4666 or visit www.

idlewildmusicfest.com

trout-a-rama July 16-20Grand Parade (1 p.m. Saturday), Miss

Lake County Contest (Friday evening), Arnold Amusements Carnival, Youth Fishing Derby, DARE Car Show (Sunday), and an Entertainment Tent including Casino Nights and live music

Visit to www.troutarama.com

Calendar of upcoming events

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Best Food In Lake County

4016 S. M37 • Baldwin • (231) 745-6015Mon-Sat 11am-2am, Sun. 12pm-2am

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Beer, Wine and Cocktails Available OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK (231) 898-2377East Washington • Ruby Creek

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WELCOME VETERANS • WELCOME BIKERS

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Theresa Fairbanks231-510-1935 • 231-266-6014

riversedgelogcabins@yahoo.com1853 W. Old M63, Luther, MI 49656

may 2014 | Ludington daiLy newS • road trip

Each year there are additional events in and around Baldwin on the

weekend of the Blessing. The Lake County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 6th Annual Blessing of the Bikes Market Place downtown in the area immediately behind the Baldwin Business Center. It begins Fri-day, May 16. There will be food vendors, clothing, bike accessories, and tattoo artists. Contact the chamber tourist center at (231) 745-4331.

Baldwin and Lake County in May have more to offer than bikes. The

area is host to some of the world’s best brown trout fishing on the Pere Marquette River and its tributaries. The area also boasts many canoe liveries to take advantage of the world-class floats on the P.M. and Pine rivers. May is often a fine time for morel mushroom hunting in Lake County. There’s also good hiking in the Manistee National For-est and fine camping, too. Jones Ice Cream Parlor in Baldwin is well-known for its homemade ice cream. Shrine of the Pines is an interest-ing attraction worth a look, too, and the area offers unique shops and eateries as well.

MarketplaceMarketplace

More to OfferMore to Offer

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