Riders prepare for Light the City ride

Only police escorted charity nighttime ride is celebrating its 11th anniversary

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Finally, fall is here. You know what that means.

Cooler temperatures, leaves change colors and the smell of leather. Yes leather. OK maybe not everywhere, but Friday night the air will be filled with the smell of rawhide at Adamec Harley Davidson on Baymedows as hundreds of local motorcycle enthusiasts twist the throttle for the 11th Annual Light the City Ride.

Glenn Morningstar of the JSO Motor Unit explains how the ride has grown over the last 11 years.

"Jim Suber and I had been escorting various charity rides around Jacksonville for some time" Morningstart said. "We decided to do something different, something special, as the JSO Motor Unit and focus our charity on kids."

Morningstar goes on to say that since the inception of the Light the City Ride, the JSO Motor Unit Charity has donated over 200 thousand dollars to charities that focus on local kids.

Those charities include the Police Athletic League of Jacksonville (PAL), Facing Futures Foundation and Concerns of Police Survivors, which provides resources for survivors of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.

Over the past 10 years, the weather for the Light the City Ride has featured amazing sunsets to scattered showers and storms. This year it looks like Mother Nature will cooperate and hundreds of Harleys and various other brands will take to the city streets in the only JSO escorted charity night time ride, with kickstands going up at 7:00pm. Registration starts at 4:30 - 6:00 pm.

Tickets for this year's ride start at 35 dollars for the rider, 25 dollars for passengers, or 150 dollars for VIP. All riders will get dinner and an event t-shirt. Tickets are first come first served, and since the weather is improving they are selling fast.

Also be sure to check out our Facebook page were you can find information about a $20 raffle to win a Harley like the one pictured above.


 


About the Authors:

Richard Nunn is the Weather Authority Chief Meteorologist