Bikers participating in last year’s St. Aloysius Bike Run line up before the start of the event last year. The second annual Bike Run will take place Saturday.

GOWANDA — For the second straight year, the St. Aloysius Regional Annual Bike Run will be Saturday. Unlike last year, this year’s run will start at Gowanda Harley Davidson, go around the Southern Tier, then wind up back at Harley Davidson for some post run festivities. The run will begin with registration at 10 a.m. and will start at 11.

Event organizer Laura Koch, whose connection to the school is as a parent and grandparent, said that last year the event had somewhere around 50 participants, which is especially impressive considering the first event started in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We did start it last year during the pandemic,” Koch said. “We had to jump through some hoops and everybody had to sign in for COVID tracking but we made it through.”

And the importance of the Run itself is there for both the recipient of the fundraiser, the St. Aloysius School in Springville, a private school for students in preschool through eighth grade, as well as those participating. This year’s partnership with Gowanda Harley Davidson will only help the event grow for all sides involved.

“Having the Harley shop as a supporter is a great asset to the event,” Koch said. “My thought is it’s a really good chance for supporters of the school who have a bike.”

Koch particularly believes this to be good for the parents, as it’s something the adults who want to support the school can do together as a nice social activity. Coming off the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are ready to have that social interaction once again, and the bike run could be that outlet for many.

“This is a social adult thing,” Koch said. “A lot of times when we do things at the school, it tends to be more kids and family school related, but this is more of a social event for us, so it’s a little different. Even for people who don’t have a bike, bike runs are excellent for going out and being part of a cause and getting to be social.”

Koch said people come from all over to participate in the run, including from the city of Buffalo, as the draw of the Southern Tier’s scenery is something that goes unmatched. And while they won’t know exactly how many people will show up until the day of the event, Koch is hoping that even people who don’t bike come out for the other festivities.

“It has been advertised well and is supposed to be a beautiful day,” Koch said. “I encourage people to visit Gowanda Harley Davidson, even if it isn’t to ride. There will be a hot dog roast during the day, a Chinese auction and other raffles!”

In addition to the run, there will be raffles, door prizes, and food on site at Gowanda Harley Davidson. Live music will be playing from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The hot dog roast will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donation cost is $15 per bike and $10 per rider. For more information about the bike run, visit the Facebook page, visit http://www.staloysiusregional.com/, or contact Koch at 353-1375.