You can tell spring is in the air because motorcycle and car enthusiasts are talking about the upcoming 12th Annual Hogs & Rags Spring Rally on April 22. Over the years, the Hogs & Rags Rally has become known as one of the best and largest rallies in North Carolina. 

The Hogs & Rags Rally is an annual event and is known as a first-class ride, but it also supports a variety of charities with lots of fun and miles in between. Since the beginning, the Hogs & Rags friends and sponsors have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities. This year, proceeds will go to support the Special Forces Charitable Trust, the American Cancer Society and the Kidsville News Literacy &
Education Foundation. 

The excitement starts at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum at 7 a.m., and at exactly at 9 a.m., the engines are on, the kickstands are up, the Cumberland County Sheriffs are chirping their sirens and the convoy starts moving. With Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson and his wife, Kim, as the Grand Marshalls (both are avid motorcyclists), the convoy heads out with hundreds of vehicles enjoying a police escort all the way to
Myrtle Beach. 

As the rally rolls through Tar Hill, riders take a little detour to Gardner Altman’s Rock’n-A-Ranch in White Oak. There, the group will be greeted by Julia Riley and volunteers from Bladen County’s Relay for Life Cancer Society, who will prepare a first-class country breakfast. 

From there, the police will lead the group up to Tabor City for water and a bathroom break, where many of the riders remove their helmets as they cross over into South Carolina. Once riders arrive in Myrtle Beach, their final destination is Wild Wings Café at Barefoot Landing, where the
party begins. 

Last year, the event grew so much the Hogs & Rags committee had a hard time finding a place that could feed so many people. They chose Wild Wings Café, which turned out to be an excellent location. Here, the riders enjoy good food and fellowship. Here, the winners of the three-gun raffle, several auctions and an exciting 50/50 reverse raffle for $2,500 cash will be announced.

The ride is $50 per entry per person. To some this seems like a lot of money for a rally, but remember this is a first-class event and supports multiple charities. Oh, and each person receives their own Hogs & Rags T-shirt. 

At the heart of the event, it is the Hogs & Rags committee, volunteers and sponsors that work together to make this a success. Planning an event that travels over a hundred miles through two states and feeds about 425 people at two locations takes months to plan. 

The event is a sanctioned Dogwood Festival event and is supported by many sponsors. This year’s premiere sponsors are Fort Bragg Harley-Davidson and the Fayetteville Automall, which is home to Fayetteville Kia, Acura, Volvo
and Mitsubishi.   

Fort Bragg is home to the Airborne and Special Operations Forces. Over the past 16 years, some of these men and women have known nothing but the hardships that the war has brought. 

The Special Forces Charitable Trust has been helping these warriors and their families adjust and prepare for those realities to help improve their quality of life. The Charitable Trust helps service members mentally and spiritually, and also helps them focus while protecting our country. You can find out more at www.specialforcescharitabletrust.org

Founded in 2011, the Kidsville News Literacy & Education Foundation is a nonprofit with a mission to support literacy-based initiatives nationwide. The National Assessment of Education Progress determined that nearly a third of American fourth-graders read below their reading level. To combat this issue, KNLEF annually awards grants to qualifying organizations that promote improving literacy, education and character development among America’s youth. 

Oh, and if we are lucky, on the day of the event, Truman the dragon, the Kidsville News! mascot, will be visiting folks at the museum. 

The American Cancer Society is one of the greatest organizations out there. At the American Cancer Society, they are working to free the world from cancer. Until they do, funding is raised for conducting research, sharing expert information, supporting patients and spreading the word about prevention. Everything they do is to help our friends, family and society live a better life. 

The Hogs & Rags Rally is for all types of motorcycles and cars. So come out and experience one great ride! To register online, or for more information, please visit www.ragsandhogs.org.