SHERBURNE – More than 100 bikers rolled into Gilligan’s Restaurant in Sherburne on Wednesday – a sure sign of an early start of the summer season as the ninth annual Bike Night and Cruise-In got underway.
Every Wednesday throughout the summer, Bike Night at Gilligan’s welcomes hundreds of bikers and classic car enthusiasts from all over the area show off their ride while also helping to raise money for a good cause. Funds raised through a weekly 50/50 raffle, individual contributions and vendor sales at Bike Night are donated to cancer patients who are undergoing treatment and in need of financial assistance to foot the fuel expenses of regular trips to cancer treatment centers.
The event – sponsored by the local chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders of New York, Sherburne Wheelers, and Nam Knights Liberty Chapter – has become a staple in downtown Sherburne, proving that good things can happen when a private business teams up with nonprofit organizations.
“We started Bike Night because we realized that there was a need for a local bike night,” said Donna Danyluk, Sherburne Bike Night coordinator and member of the Patriot Guard Riders group. “As time went on, we also felt that we needed a cause.”
Danyluk explained that money raised through raffle ticket sales at Bike Night is earmarked to help cancer patients with travel expenses. To date, the event has resulted in a total 253 $100 gas cards being given to cancer survivors throughout that area and as far as Florida, Texas, Indiana, Virgina, West Virginia and Long Island. “The reason we do that is if someone comes to Bike Night and participates in the 50/50 raffle, they might have a cousin in another state who is battling cancer,” Danyluk said. “And we will help them because they have helped us here.”
Additional support comes from vendors who set up at Bike Night, she added. “My daughter sells jewelry here, too, and 50 percent of those sales go toward Relay for Life.”
Of course, Bike Night isn’t only a fundraiser. It’s a chance for fun in a family-friendly atmosphere. And for Gilligan’s owner Mike Lagoe, it’s also a business opportunity.
“It’s important for our business. Obviously, it’s a good way to bring people out and check out what we have,” Lagoe said. “But it’s also a good way to bring the community in and for us to become more involved in the community.”
Lagoe added that the years-long partnership between Gilligan’s and Bike Night and Cruise-In organizers has led to thousands of dollars in donations for a good cause. Moreover, simply having a weekly event that draws hundreds of people into downtown Sherburne is also good for the community.
“It’s great that a for profit business like us can work with a nonprofit to do an event that helps people, helps our business, helps their group, and helps Sherburne altogether. People have gotten to know where Sherburne is because of Bike Night,” he said. “That’s great for all the businesses here, whether your here at Gilligan’s, buying gas or getting groceries.”
In previous years, Bike Night has attracted as many as 377 bikes in one night. Organizers hope to beat that record this year. Danyluk point out that this also marks the first year Bike Night has been combined with the weekly cruise-in at Gilligan’s, potentially drawing an even larger crowd.
Bike Night runs from 5-8 p.m. every Wednesday until September in the parking lot of Gilligan’s Restaurant in Sherburne. For additional information, like Gilligan’s on Facebook.