Bikers hit the road for annual fundraiser
Dozens of bikers and a variety of automotive enthusiasts hit the road for charity at the seventh annual “Maggie’s Ride” recently.
The fundraiser was organized in honor of Maggie Rae Young, age 6, who died in 2018.
“I was devastated, and I wanted to do something in her honor,” said Kenneth Woody, Maggie’s grandfather and owner of Woody Tire & Automotive in Bakersville. “So, I opened this scholarship fund with $600.”
Since Woody and his family are bikers, they decided that creating an event around an activity they love would be a good fit. This year’s route took participants from Bakersville to Avery County and ended in Morganton.
The convoy included motorcycles, jeeps and classic cars, and participation cost $20 to register, with proceeds going to the Maggie Rae Young Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The goal of the fundraising effort is to pay the four-year college tuition for one of Maggie’s classmates. The recipient will be named and the funds will be dispersed in 2031, which is when Maggie would have graduated from high school, Woody said.
Maggie was a free spirit who loved being outside, wading in the creek, playing with her family’s baby goats, and attending the Montessori school in Spruce Pine, said Amy Young, Maggie’s mother: “She was happy, and she never met a stranger.”
One of her favorite pastimes was listening to the Grateful Dead.
“She was a huge deadhead,” Young recalled. “That child could sing every word to every Grateful Dead song ... she loved it.”
When the fundraiser was formed, Woody did not know how it would work out, but the event has grown beyond the first ride. It has raised, on average, about $10,000 a year, and this year, the “Ride” pulled in over $6,500. Organizers also continue to receive private donations and will be raising additional funds from other fundraisers scheduled for this year.
Young emphasized that this is not a one-time scholarship. After the initial four-year scholarship is awarded, they plan on giving out smaller scholarships each year.
“We just want to give back to her classmates and the community,” Young said. “She (Maggie) loved school and she loved her friends. … We want to keep this going and keep Maggie’s memory alive, and we want everyone to know what a happy and kind child she was.”
On Nov. 1, at noon, a Mossberg 28131Patriot Full Size 7mm REM, which has been donated by High Country Arms in Spruce Pine, will be won in a live drawing on Facebook. Tickets are $5. All proceeds will go to the Maggie Rae Young Scholarship Fund. For more information, contact Amy Young at (828) 780-6180.
Donations to the Maggie Rae Young Memorial Scholarship Fund are also accepted at the United Community Bank, 800 Summit Avenue, in Spruce Pine, or can be dropped off at Woody Tire & Automotive, 98 Hemlock Dr., Bakersville.