Eight and a half years ago, I took a shower. I’ve taken a few more since then, but it was while enjoying that particular shower, that the idea of hosting an event to promote all of the various groups and organizations in Ottawa was birthed. I envisioned a dozen or more tables, with each group letting people know about why they exist, the events they host, and other information that people might find valuable.
We set the date for early April and sent out invites to the different groups. The response was excellent, and we waited patiently for the big day to arrive. The day before the event, the weather was looking questionable. There was a chance of flurries, and it was clearly going to be a cold day. Still, we were not expecting to wake up the morning of the Info Day to discover the worse blizzard recorded ever on that day. Snow began falling early in the morning, and by mid-morning, the ground was completely covered.
And yet, people came. By the end of the day, we estimated about 300 people came through the doors. For us, it was a huge success, and we immediately began planning next year’s event.
Four years later, the Info Day was getting stale. The numbers had not grown past the 300 or so people who attended faithfully each year. The suggestion was made that we incorporate a Swap Meet into the Info Day. But our Swap Meet would be open to the everyday Joe. We wouldn’t charge for setting up a table. And we would encourage anyone to come and sell their used stuff.
It worked. The first two years with the Swap Meet added to the event, our numbers jumped to 600. And then last year, we saw a huge increase as the event exploded, and over 1500 people attended.
We had no idea what kind of numbers we would see this year, our eighth year. There were threats of thunderstorms for the late afternoon, and yet once again, by the end of the day, we had matched last year’s numbers. It truly was incredible to us.
What makes this event so successful? I am absolutely convinced it’s all about the volunteers. Almost everyone at Bikers’ Church steps up and participates. In fact, we usually have about 90% of our membership serving during the day. Even some of those who are not members sign up and take the time to help out for the day.
Our volunteers represent us well. They work hard — incredibly hard — and they always have a smile for anyone they greet. Sure, everyone has their moment, but every volunteer comes to this event with the same goal: to serve the motorcycle community.
We do two events annually: The Info Day & Swap Meet and The Motorcycle Appreciation Day. These two events are now the second and third largest single day motorcycle events in Ottawa (the largest is Ride for DAD, an event we also serve). Imagine … a church has two of the three most attended events by the motorcycle community. I believe that says something. It says something about the people who make up The Bikers’ Church.
I am so very proud of them.
