Over 180 bikers join forces for record breaking ride
BIKE RIDERS – 180 riders signed up and participated in the 9th Annual Tanya Taylor Family Memorial Bike Ride held Sunday, May 7th at First Baptist Church in Dyer.
by Lori Cathey
Sunday, May 7th was a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine made for a record setting day. The 9th Annual Tanya Taylor Family Memorial Mission Fund bike ride was held at the First Baptist Church in Dyer. 180 motorcycle riders contributed to a new record to make the day a huge success.
This bike ride is held every year in memory of Brad and Tanya Taylor, and sons Kyle and Tyce, who lost their lives in the tornado of April 2, 2006. Ronnie and Selene Barron, parents of Tanya, began the fund in memory of Tanya and her family in 2009.
Some of the items provided through the Tanya Taylor Family Memorial Mission Fund are medical supplies, free reading glasses, children’s supplies, Bibles and for the FBC mission trip to Ecuador.
During the First Baptist Church Worship Service military veterans were honored for their service and recognized while the FBC choir sang each military branches hymns. Bret London followed honoring Ronnie and Selene Barron with a proclamation from the State of Tennessee recognizing this special event. F.A.I.T.H. Riders National Director Mike Stewart was the special guest speaker for the service.
After the service over 400 supporters of the event attended the BBQ lunch.
Before the bikers left at 1:30 p.m., Ronnie Barron thanked everyone for the great turnout and really appreciated the continued support for this event so much. Bob Hill prayed for everyone’s safety, and gave the traditional, “Gentleman, start your engines!”
Sheriff’s Deputy Cody Childress led the 180 motorcycles riders resulting in a line measuring over two miles long with the bikes riding two abreast over the 90 mile ride. The ride followed the path of the tornado along China Grove Rd, then by the Taylor home place in Bradford, to Skullbone and the Pleasant View Church of Christ with the rest of the route through Gibson County. Riders had a water stop at the Humboldt Wal-Mart at the midway point. Gibson County Sheriff’s department deputies provided a very safe escort the entire way.
The riders returned to First Baptist Church about 4 p.m. for the customary door prizes after such a ride. The church members pay for most of the door prizes, but some business and individual make donations as well.
Memorial Mission Fund spokesman Doug Duncan said, “We owe so many thanks to so many people for making the May 7th bike ride such a huge success. I would like to give a special thank you to all the bikers for coming back year after year. Without them this would not be possible.”
First Baptist Church has a 21-member Ecuador Mission trip team that will be serving in Quito, Ecuador in June of this year. “The entire membership of FBC Dyer makes this day possible,” added Duncan
