RAPID CITY, SD – Everyone loves a party. And, this year, as Kids & Chrome marks its 5th Anniversary, there will again be cause to celebrate.

Kids & Chrome, a one-of-a-kind benefit dinner and auction, began in 2005 at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The event has a tradition of attracting a special breed of motorcycle enthusiasts and industry legends from around the globe to “Rally for a Reason” in the name of “Kids,” the Children’s Home Society, and “Chrome,” the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.

In the past four years, Kids & Chrome has donated well in excess of a half million dollars to positively impact the lives of special needs children and preserve the history of motorcycling, both of which are causes near and dear to the hearts of the global motorcycle community.

Rendering courtesy Lehman Trikes

“Even during these past few years of challenging economic times, the motorcycle community has shown up to support charity events across the country, and they’ve shown up by the hundreds each August in support of Kids & Chrome,” said Ronda Gusinsky, Kids & Chrome’s Executive Director. “We are pleased to again have opportunity to invite them to join us in support of this year’s 5th Anniversary Kids & Chrome,” she continued.

As customary, in addition to its eclectic mix of food, fun and fellowship, this year’s Kids & Chrome live auction will feature unique custom products of its proud industry heritage including a 2009 Lehman Conversion Harley-Davidson FLH Trike, donated by Lehman Trikes and Black Hills Harley-Davidson, and a 2009 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, donated by Jim and Monica Burgess and customized by Roland Sands Design (RSD). “We at Lehman Trikes are extremely honored to be a part of this wonderful event and the benefit it brings to the Children’s Home Society and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame,” said Ken Hines, Executive Vice President of Lehman Trikes.

Rendering courtesy Roland Sand

Roland Sands, of Roland Sands Design, shared Hines’ sentiments, “It’s great to work with the folks at Kids & Chrome. I’ve been to the events for quite some time and it’s a classy group of people.” Sands added that he feels it is an honor to be chosen to build a bike for this event. “I will do everything I can to help out the cause of Kids & Chrome,” Sands continued. “I’ll see you at the event, and don’t forget your checkbook because you are going to want this bike.”

“Black Hills Harley-Davidson and my wife Monica and I are proud to be contributors to Kids & Chrome,” states Jim Burgess, one of Black Hills
Harley-Davidson’s partners and Board President of Kids & Chrome Foundation, Inc. “This is an event that we became vested in at its inception five years ago, because we believe in giving back to our Black Hills communities and to the folks that have supported our dealership for so many years. We are very grateful to Lehman and Roland Sands for believing in our cause and their generous support of this event,” Burgess continued.

This year's Kids & Chrome is slated for Wednesday, August 5th, 2009, at the Spearfish Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Spearfish, SD. It begins with a 5:30PM social and silent auction followed by an exclusive gala dining experience and live auction finale.

For more information on Kids & Chrome, email Monica@KidsandChrome.com or phone 605-341-0151.

Kids & Chrome Foundation, Inc. is a Black Hills 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

DOWNLOAD A ZIP FILE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE, 2008 KIDS AND CHROME LOGO AND PHOTOS

RAPID CITY, SD – While we all know there is something about kids that opens people's hearts, the combination of "Kids" and "Chrome" brought folks to not only open their hearts, but their pocketbooks as well. Kids and Chrome Foundation announced this week that its 4th Annual Kids & Chrome benefit dinner and auction event, held during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, raised $120,000 in support of two vital Black Hills non-profit organizations: Children's Home Society, the "Kids" in the foundation's moniker, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, the "Chrome."

"The Dakota," a one-off custom bagger, created for Kids & Chrome by Tom Binyon, of BaggerWorks Custom Touring Motorcycles in Wichita, Kansas, was the featured auction item at this year's event, bringing $40,000. The 2008 "Pit Boss," donated by Lehman Trikes of Spearfish, South Dakota, also topped the list of auction donations, raising $22,000. Additionally, the 2008 Legends Ride®, a celebrity-charity event produced by the Legendary Buffalo Chip to support the mission of Kids & Chrome, raised $38,000 for the foundation, according to Rod Woodruff, Buffalo Chip President and CEO.

"Kids & Chrome provides a very unique, one-of-a-kind platform that unites the eclectic world-wide community of motorcycle enthusiasts, who join us each year during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, for a very philanthropic and genuinely worthwhile cause," said Jim Burgess, President of the Kids & Chrome Foundation, promoter of Kids & Chrome. "It's just a remarkable event," Burgess continued, "that gives us a chance to welcome folks around the globe and publicly thank all of our friends in the industry who come together each August in support of Kids & Chrome, Children's Home Society and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum."

Funding provided by Kids & Chrome supports the therapeutic programming of the Children's Home Society, a home and school for children with emotional and behavioral issues, many of whom are victims of severe abuse and neglect.

"This event is always a wonderful demonstration of the generosity and compassion so many Rally-goers have at heart," said South Dakota Lieutenant Governor Dennis Daugaard, who personally welcomed the event's attendees at the August 6th benefit. "This year, the dinner and live auction were especially uplifting.  From the video presentation to the testimonials, everyone's spirits were raised.  The next day, the Legends Ride®, hosted by the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground to benefit Kids & Chrome, added another dimension to the giving." Affiliated with Children's Home Society for more than 18 years, Daugaard is particularly familiar with the community's outstanding commitment to the "Kids" of Kids and Chrome.

Kids & Chrome's funding also supports the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame in its mission to preserve the history of motorcycling.

"The dollars raised through the Kids & Chrome Foundation allow the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame to continue to bring the history of motorcycling alive for its visitors," said Christine Paige Diers, Executive Director of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.  "It is our hope to be able to expand the museum in the next few years using proceeds from the Kids & Chrome events.  Without this support, plans for expansion would still be only a distant dream."

The 2008 Kids & Chrome event was supported by the generosity of the motorcycle community as well as local and national event sponsors like Budweiser, the Kids & Chrome title sponsor. Sharing the spotlight were the event's premiere sponsors: Black Hills Harley-Davidson, the Legendary Buffalo Chip, Performance Machine, GEICO PowerSports, Black Hills Surgery Center, BaggerWorks, Lehman Trikes, Scott Peterson Motors, Childress Vineyards, State Publishing & Printing, Sturgis Bike Week, Gustafson Builders and KEVN FOX 7. 

Next year's Kids & Chrome benefit dinner and auction is slated for Wednesday, Augsut 5, 2009. For more information and event updates visit www.kidsandchrome.com, or contact Ronda Gusinsky, Executive Director, Kids & Chrome Foundation, at 605/716-9190.

Kids & Chrome Foundation is a Black Hills 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

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