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The Baldwin Municipal Airport plays host this

year to the 43rd annual Bless-ing of the Bikes, set for 1 p.m. Sunday, May 17. The gates to the airport open at 9 a.m. The cost is $5 per bike and $3 for walk-in admission. No alcohol or pets are allowed.

The event is now a tradition that draws a crowd, but the blessing has humbler origins.

The blessing started in 1973 in Baldwin with only four bikes and eight riders who wanted to do something for charity.

“They checked into records and Lake County was the most underprivileged county in Michigan,” said Para-Dice Motorcycle Club Blessing Chair June Sanborn.

Proceeds for this year’s Blessing of the Bikes benefit Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization which provides affordable housing in partnership with people in need.

Each year, motorcyclists travel from across the coun-

try to received a blessing for a safe, happy riding season. Since then, the event has grown to help numerous Lake County charities, which open booths as vendors.

The blessing at the Baldwin Municipal Airport south of the village has become something

of a festival of biking in recent years. Lately, Sanborn has been trying to bring the club back to its original focus.

“It’s actually a church ser-vice, it’s not a motorcycle event, per se,” Sanborn has told the Ludington Daily News.

There will still be live music, but less emphasis on other themes. As always, Blessing of the Bikes 2015 will focus on charity. The proceeds of the gate, which come from a $5 per bike donation, go to Habitat for Humanity, but other charities benefit, too.

“Every vendor that qualifies whatever they sell, they keep their total profits. That helps 15 to 20 nonprofit organiza-tions also to keep money. I

probably get 50 to 75 calls a year from people who want on the airport. They have to be nonprofit, have a nonprofit business number, be in Lake County and belong to the chamber of commerce.”

Sanborn said participants should plan on arriving early. The hour before the actual blessing is often extremely busy. Every year, people arrive late because they didn’t plan for traffic.

Some handicap-accessible parking is available.

Father Ron Schneider of St. Ann’s in Baldwin will give the blessing.

The festival actually spans several days, beginning Friday, May 15 and featuring vendors set up all over the town of Baldwin, as well as a giant food fest all weekend.

As for the blessing, Sanborn said the event will always stay in Lake County, though there are many requests to move it around.

“Baldwin’s probably go-ing to have it forever, as long as we can do it,” Sanborn says.

The Para-Dice Motorcycle Club is made up of about 30 active members who put on the event with the help of the community.

“You have some beautiful people in Baldwin,” Sanborn said, “because if I find some-thing is missing, I ask for help and we have not been turned down very many times.”

Everything is donated for the event.

The only expenses that come out of the gate proceeds are insurance, portable toilet costs and the fees for renting a sound system.

Sanborn said when motor-cyclists just go to Baldwin for the weekend, that’s not really being at the blessing.

“The T-shirts, patches and pins are the official blessing pins and those are all sold by our nonprofit vendors,” San-born said. “It’s for the seniors

and we would like to see as much turnout as we can get.”

MAY, 2015 | LUDINGTON DAILY NEWS • ROAD TRIP

Take a Road Trip to Baldwin for

Ble� ing of � e Bikes

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BLESSING OF THE BIKES1 p.m. Sunday, May 17, Bald-

win Municipal Airport, with related events May 15-17 in downtown Baldwin.

SOUNDS FROM THE FOREST AT WENGER PAVILION

7 to 9 p.m. every Wednesday and Saturday, rain or shine, free concerts. For more info, visit www.baldwinsummercon-certs.org.

IRONS FLEA ROASTAND OX MARKET

June 25-28 at Skinner Park east of downtown Irons, amusement rides, flea market, live music, food/beer tent, bin-go, and various tournaments (softball, volleyball, and horse-shoes). Parade at 3 p.m. begin-ning at Irons Union Church.

LUTHER LOGGING DAYSJuly 4-6, a celebration of the

community’s lumber and log-ging heritage, international lumberjack competition with events spread over two days, a car show, kids games, a parade, softball tour-

nament, outhouse race, and a horse pull, music and other entertainment, a human vs. zombies game, and Made in Michigan items. Call Lori at 231-629-5634 or visit www.luthermi.com or facebook.com/LutherLoggingDays.

IDLEWILD MUSIC FESTNoon to 9 p.m. July 10-12 -

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TROUT-A-RAMAJuly 16-20 - The festival

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Calendar

more to offerBaldwin and Lake County in May have more to offer than bikes.

The area is host to some of the world’s best brown trout fish-ing on the Pere Marquette River and its tributaries. The area also boasts many canoe liveries to take advantage of the world-class floats on the P.M. and Pine rivers. May is often a fine time for morel mushroom hunting in Lake County. There’s also good hik-ing in the Manistee Natinal Forest and fine camping, too. Jones Ice Cream Parlor in Baldwin is well-known for its homemade ice cream. Shrine of the Pines is an interesting attraction worth a look too, and the area offers unique shops and eateries as well.

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