Harry revs a motorcycle at the Oakwood Park Lodge's Father’s Day Barbecue and Bike Show.

Bikers visit with residents on Father’s Day
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 -- Jason Thompson
Oakwood Park Lodge resident Al Jones says he looks forward to the home’s Father’s Day Barbecue and Bike Show every year and 2007 is no exception.

“I think a lot of people look forward to it,” says Jones, president of the resident council at Oakwood. “My nephew came with me, he’s not a resident here but he looks forward to it also.”

About 125 people, including staff and residents from Oakwood Park Lodge and Millenium Trail Manor in Niagara Falls, as well as family members and bikers, were in attendance at the 4th annual Barbecue and Bike Show was held Father’s Day.

“Each year it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and we get a good response from the local motorcycle club,” says Richard Van Huizen, the director of therapeutic recreation at Oakwood. Van Huizen organized the event along with Steve Moran, recreation director at Millenium Trail Manor.

“Just talking to all the guys and let them explain their bikes to me and what they’ve done with the bikes,” Jones says of hanging out with the bikers.

Van Huizen says every year the bikers with the Southern Cruisers Families bike club enjoy the event.

“It’s something they feel they can give back to the community and it’s something they really enjoy doing. They look forward to coming,” he says.  

Around 11:30 Father’s Day morning, between 40 and 45 motorcycles pulled into the parking lots shared by the two homes. For about an hour and a half, the bikers chatted with the residents and showed off their hogs.

“They’re not just standing there looking pretty,” Van Huizen says, adding some of the residents will sit with the bikers and talk shop about the machines they used to ride or the ones on display on the show.

For residents who are able, they saddle up on a bike and rev the engine a little.

“We invite all the men to the barbecue and the bike show but we get a lot of women to come out to,” Van Huizen says. “They enjoy sitting out and watching the bikes.

Van Huizen says the best part of the event is seeing the bikers ride off into the sunset.

“The leader gives the signal and they all get on their motorcycles and they start ‘em all up at once and rev ‘em and line up on the road and take off in a grand parade,” he says. “You can probably hear it from miles away.”

Jones agrees.

“It’s nice to see them when they leave. You hear them rev their motors up when they’re going down the street,” he says.

“It sounds good.”

Jones says there are a lot of misconceptions about bikers he’d like to dispel.

“These guys are really nice and they just look for a reason to explain what they’ve done to their bikes and what they’re bikes will do,” he says. “These guys are part of the finest gang that you’ll ever meet.”