Bike Rally Brings Money to Local Charities

Fayetteville’s 16th annual Bikes Blues and BBQ motorcycle rally was held this past week. 400,000 people from every corner of the United States poured into Fayetteville to experience music from Kid Rock, The Dead Metal Society, and others, partake in the People’s Choice BBQ Competition, and ride the scenic roads of Fayetteville and other quaint Ozark Mountain towns.

BBB holds the title of the second largest motorcycle rally in the US, but even more notable is its position as the largest US charity rally. While bringing in the revenue equivalent of three Razorback football weekends, as stated by Joe Giles, BBB executive director, the rally has also generated more than $600,000 for local charities over the past 16 years.

501(c)(3) charities can apply for donations, as well as get involved by providing volunteers for the event and coordinating their own events, such as breakfasts and lunches for bikers to raise awareness of their causes. This year, the International Association of Firefighters organized two poker runs to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a summer camp for child burn victims.

To support the community which houses the rally, BBB donations are made strictly to local charities. Non-profits that have partnered with the rally in the past include the Big Brothers & Big Sisters of NWA, Horses for Healing, Peace at Home Shelter, and Meals on Wheels.

The Jackson L. Graves Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed to improve the care of children in intensive care units of local hospitals and the families of these children, has partnered with Bikes Blues and BBQ for more than five years.

“We typically apply it [donations] to christmas projects at children’s hospitals,” said Angie Graves, co-founder of the Jackson L. Graves foundation, “We give a gift to every family, typically a stocking filled with things for babies and their families…things that the families can use while they are there such as cd players, so that all the babies can have music in the neonatal intensive care unit.”

Another recipient of donations from BBB is Big Brother, Big Sister of NWA, an organization that pairs vulnerable children with adult mentors.

“Because of the financial support [of BBB], every year we are able to serve more kids,” said Executive Director Sarah Heimer, “It allows us to recruit more mentors and identify more kids at-risk in the community.” Heimer attributed the addition of 15 new mentors each year to the rally’s contributions.

The process of dividing funds to local charities begins immediately after the rally. Each charity and the amount they receive is determined by the rally’s board of directors.

“When the rally is over and we have all the money and pay all the bills and have ‘x’ amount left, we keep money to kickstart next year’s event, and the remaining amount is distributed,” said Giles, explaining the process of donation. He said that a vast majority of charities that receive contributions are focused on children, family, and the elderly.

To apply for donations for next year’s rally, you can send submit proposals on Bikes Blues and BBQ’s website. 2016 dates are set for Sept. 21- Sept. 24.

Civil Rights Ordinance Heads into Primetime Voting

Voting on the Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance 5781 begins Tuesday, Sept. 8. The ordinance, written by the Fayetteville City Council, has been highly debated by Christians, business-owners, and civil rights activists.  The ordinance calls for equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents, hoping to end discrimination based on gender and sexual identity regarding hiring and housing.  

For Fayetteville, an organization supporting the ordinance, urges for equal rights for all citizens regardless of lifestyle and Protect Fayetteville, an organization protesting the ordinance, is fighting to protect religious rights within the community.

“The ordinance does not create fairness or freedom – it takes away freedom. It discriminates against people of faith, while pretending to offer anti-discrimination to people of certain sexual orientations,” said Duncan Campbell, an active member of Protect Fayetteville, over the phone on Friday.

Those fighting 5781 argue that as well as violating religious freedom by requiring privately owned businesses to serve those who do not live according to the owner’s faith-based values, it may put women and children in danger by allowing people to use whichever gender of bathroom with which they personally identify.

The For Fayetteville organization says the ordinance will better reflect the ideals of the diverse city, while extending equal civil rights to people of all sexual orientations and gender indentities. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage was a constitutional right, but there has yet to be a law passed guaranteeing LGBT people from discrimination. For Fayetteville calls on local government to fill this void.

While some say that this ordinance may be a remake of ordinance 119, a civil rights ordinance that was repealed in December of 2014, For Fayetteville says otherwise. Repeal 119 and others in the community worked to get the ordinance repealed in a special election after the lax of religious exemptions angered many Fayetteville residents.

“The older ordinance was much longer and more wordy and had many subjective terms that could easily be misinterpreted,” said city councilwoman Adella Gray, when asked over the phone about the differences between ordinance 119 and ordinance 5781.

Ordinance 5781 is said to be more concise and to have improved definitions of sexual and gender identity, as well as outlining concrete courses of action if violated. If infringed upon, the offense is considered a city penalty. The offender can be charged up to $100 after standing before a civil rights commision in order to determine the validity of the claim. The commission will consist of “two representatives of the business community, two owners or managers of rental property, one representative with experience in Human Resources or employment law, and two citizens at large, at least one of whom identifies as LGBT,” as stated by the ordinance.

Voting will begin Sept. 8 with polling stations open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For locations, check the Washington County website.