It was a few years ago, Bill Bowman, the owner of the Up & Coming Weekly and Kidsville News!, called and asked me to help him with an event. If you know Bill, he is such a sweet guy that is hard to say no when he asks a favor. The event is Fayetteville’s annual Hogs and Rags Rally.

This year will be the 8th annual event — and my third year of involvement — and I have to tell you, everyone does a great job of putting on a memorable and fantastic rally. The Hogs and Rags Rally is an event for motorcycles and convertibles to raise money for a variety of charities. This year, the proceeds will go to the Shriners Hospital for Children, the American Cancer Society and Kidsville News!

The rally a sanctioned Dogwood Festival event, and it takes place on Saturday, April 27. Registration opens at 8 a.m. The event will start at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum. We will leave promptly at 8:45 a.m.

Although in the past there has been a great turn out of motorcycles, last year there was a really nice turn out of classic and convertible cars, too (hence the “Rags” in the name Hogs and Rags). Everyone is welcome as long you can keep up with the police. That’s right, we have a police escort from Fayetteville to Myrtle Beach.

After we leave the museum, we will head out with a police escort to a farm near Chadbourn, N.C., for a wonderful breakfast. From there, we will head toward South Carolina with a water stop at the border and then on to Myrtle Beach.

Once at Myrtle Beach, the caravan stops at Broadway at the Beach for a lunch at Landry’s Seafood. This will be the third year eating there, and it is a very nice experience. While eating lunch, there will be drawings for raffle prizes and guest speakers.

The lunch concludes the official ride, so everyone can enjoy the Boardwalk and ride back at their leisure. You will have plenty of time to get back to the Dogwood Festival to see the Saturday night show. This year, the Dogwood Festival will feature Fahrenheit at 6 p.m., Blackfoot at 7 p.m. and Molly Hatchet at 9 p.m. at the Festival Park.

The ride is $50 per entry and an additional $30 for each additional passenger. The rally includes breakfast, lunch and a T-shirt.

Remember, this rally is for all types of motorcycles and vehicles. Last year, we had a Jeep and Ferrari fighting it out to be the lead car. I believe the Ferrari came out ahead. If you have a club, please come out and join the fun. Let us know ahead of time, and we will group you all together for the ride.

This is going to be a great time for a great cause, so please tell your friends and mark your calendar. You can pre-register or make a donation online at www. hogsandrags.com.

Come with a full tank of gas, come hungry and come ready to ride!

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!