Mae-West Memorial Ride offers bikers a way to give back to area animals

WEIRS BEACH — The Mae-West Memorial “For the Love of Pets” Ride is in its 12th year, and leaves annually from Laconia Motorcycle Week headquarters on Lakeside Avenue, raising money to help the animals of the Lakes Region.

Two dozen motorcycles sent it on Monday morning, riding on a journey through Meredith, Holderness, Ashland, North Sandwich, Moultonborough, and Center Harbor, before traveling through Meredith again, to end at Beans & Greens Farm, in Gilford, for post-ride refreshments.

Deputy Director Jennifer Anderson said these organized charity rides are “what Motorcycle Week is all about,” and this one in particular has raised about $100,000 since it started in 2014.

“The ride was originally started by our friends at Sick Boy Motorcycles,” Anderson said. “They are huge animal lovers, and are really good friends with Billy Grotto, of Twisted Tea. They put it together to raise money for the local animal shelters.”

When it was run by Sick Boy Motorcycles, there were years the event raised upward of $10,000 through sponsorships. This year, money will go toward Funds4Paws, which supports organizations and people involved locally in the humane treatment of animals.

A $25 donation gets a rider a spot in the procession, led by Laconia Police, a T-shirt, swag bag, and the general camaraderie of a scenic cruise.

“It’s a good time,” Anderson said. “Everyone loves animals, so why wouldn’t it be? A lot of these people come year after year. It’s a great way to start your Monday. I love it.”

She said the organized rides are a good tribute to the first Gypsy Tour in 1916, which was a collection of riders who left from Massachusetts, long before Interstate 93, and paved roads.

“That took a day to come up to The Weirs, which has been a long-standing popular tourist destination,” Anderson said. “This is what it’s all about. Riding with friends. Making new friends. My friend Dave, who I was just talking to, has been coming for 25 years now, and I see him once a year. Then there’s the local people that I get to know better because of stuff like this.”

The weather was just about perfect at the start of the ride, and Anderson said overall, it had been a good start to the week.

“It was a fantastic first weekend,” Anderson said. “Couldn’t have asked for it to be better, honestly. We had a tremendous turnout for the Peter Makris Memorial Ride, and I haven’t gotten the final numbers, but it looks like it was one of our biggest ever. I would say there are usually about 150 bikes.”

Anderson said because the Peter Makris Memorial Ride is led by State Police, once you embark, your feet literally don’t hit the ground until coming back to the NASWA at the end of the day. The ride goes from The NASWA to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, where bikers will do laps around the track, then make their way back.

The Mae-West ride was led by University of New Hampshire Police Sgt. Jared Hayes and Laconia Police Master Patrol Officer R.J. Bassett, who agreed the rally has had a strong start.

“Great atmosphere, great weather,” said Bassett, who has been leading the Mae-West ride for a decade, and is attending his 13th Motorcycle Week.

The 103rd Laconia Motorcycle Week runs through Sunday, June 21.

Anderson rode on the back of Motorcycle Week Executive Director Charlie St. Clair’s bike, a 2000 Heritage Softail complete with hundreds of signatures collected over the years. They were third in line, behind Hayes and Bassett. St. Clair was excited to get the ride going, doing it for a cause in which he and so many other riders believe.

“It’s really a great thing for the Funds4Paws group,” St. Clair. “That’s what it’s all about. Helping our friendly animals.”

A few bikes back were Ben Wheeler and Rand Bussey, riding a 2023 Low Rider ST, and a 2021 Harley-Davidson Police, respectively.

This was Wheeler’s second year coming to Motorcycle Week, and his first group ride. He said it is a good way to change things up, have some fun, and ride with a group of people.

Bussey has been coming to Motorcycle Week for years, and is a longtime friend of St. Clair, Anderson, and many others who put on the annual rally. He said a lot of group rides aren’t about horsepower, but rather about respect, and the formation will slowly cruise on the Mae-West ride. Giving back to charities is important for Bussey, saying for 80 bad deeds, he might as well have one or two good ones.

Bussey said Laconia Motorcycle Week is “the best bunch of ugly dressed, friendly people around.”

Jim Leonard and Judith Taccini made the ride over from New Hampton, just a stone’s throw away compared to others who made fairly long treks. They will often ride around the Granite State, hitting the Kancamagus Highway, Route 49 to do a little swimming, or through the mountains and scenic landscapes of the region.

Coming to Laconia for the Mae-West ride is where they can mingle with likeminded people, who enjoy the open road for a good cause.

“We love meeting all the new people and doing all the charity rides like this,” Taccini said.

Jose Lebron, of Brooklyn, met St. Clair at Daytona Bike Week. He rides a 2009 Vulcan 900, and said the Mae-West ride is a great experience, and a quality way to meet new people. Lebron is staying in Alton, has made his way down to Dover, and has plans to cruise the Mount Washington Auto Road.

“This is my first rodeo,” Lebron said. “I got up here last Wednesday, and I’ll be up until next Sunday. I’ve been following Charlie around, and they convinced me to come over here, and now they’re trying to get me to South Dakota.”

Shelly Garnsey is from Manchester, and her brother Ken Garnsey makes the trip up from Arkansas, every year, for the rally. Shelly rides a 1994 Ducati 900 Monster, and Ken rides what he calls a “Frankenstein,” because he has done some work to it, but it is essentially a 1994 Harley-Davidson Dyna.

They normally come every year, and have also gone to rallies like Sturgis. Doing the charity rides means a lot to them. The siblings said the Mae-West ride is a great way to donate money that will help pets in the Lakes Region.

“Usually, it’s just us two riding,” Shelly said. “We ride pretty much all around the state. We’ll go up to Bentley’s in Maine, do the auto road in Mount Washington, Franconia Notch.”

Ken was in the Air Force for 26 years, until he retired in 2009, as a master sergeant, and now he comes to the Lakes Region for Motorcycle Week and stays in New Hampshire for about a month to see family.

Shelly and Ken also take part in the Peter Makris Memorial Ride, and have done rides from Laconia Harley-Davidson, in Meredith, as well as the Gypsy Tour covered bridge ride. Ken said they are all fun in their own ways, and each is worth doing at least once.

The best thing about Motorcycle Week, for them, is to be able to get some quality family time in.

“Just hanging out with my brother, really,” Shelly said.

Ken added, “Riding, seeing the sights, and watching the spectacle.”