Written By Amanda S., 2nd Year Veteran
A little bit of rain couldn’t put a damper on one of the most anticipated events of the year. On Saturday, July 19, the Minnesota Vikings held their annual Ride for Life charity event for the Minnesota Viking Children’s Fund. Bikers and participants from all over the state made the trip out to Hinckley, Minnesota to show their Viking pride and honor a good cause.
At around 9:00 a.m., a large group of cheerleaders and participants met at the Champp’s restaurant, in Maplewood, to journey out to Grand Casino. Everyone congregated, showed off their bikes, and had a little breakfast before taking off. We MVC’s had the opportunity to meet some of the participants and hear how they got started in the Ride for Life event. The stories were interesting to hear.
Time flew by! It was already 11:30 p.m., and time to start the trip! The MVC’s, along with Viktor the Viking, had the opportunity to be a part of the caravan of motorcycles. Although we had an alternative mode of transportation, it was still quite the experience. It was such an amazing sight to see hundreds of people, all in a line, supporting something so important.
We finally made it to Hinckley after about an hour and a half of travel. Everyone was so excited to get the event started. It was unfortunate that the wet weather didn’t hold off, however, burger baskets, a little bit of music, and Viking player’s (past and present) kept participants smiling even through the persistent rain!
The Ride for Life had another successful year. The turnout was great, the fans were excited, and everyone had a great time. I can’t wait for the event to come around again next summer!