Run to the Desert gives back to Soap Lake
Now in its third year in Soap Lake, the ABATE’s annual Run to the Desert motorcycle rally will head to Soap Lake this weekend.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/SUSAN CARSON
“I think we found a home there, because the community welcomes us,” ABATE Grant County Chapter Coordinator Susan Carson said. “They are amazing with their support within the businesses.”
The event serves as a fundraiser for the Soap Lake Food Bank, and raises money throughout the three-day rally. Competitions include a poker run where motorcyclists race to different points to collect cards to make the best possible poker hand.
SOAP LAKE — A weekend of music, food games – and most importantly, motorcycles – will be in Soap Lake this weekend for the Run to the Desert motorcycle rally, happening from August 26-28.
“We are an organization that does motorcycle education and biker’s rights,” said Grant County Chapter Coordinator Susan Carson. “Our chapter likes to include not only that type of information but also help where we can throughout the community.”
ABATE, standing for A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enforcement, hosts the rally that serves as a fundraiser for the Soap Lake Food Bank. ABATE is an organization that fights for motorcyclist rights.
“They don’t get the kind of support like a lot of the big food banks do,” Carson said of how the Soap Lake Food Bank was chosen as the benefactor.
The beginning years of the Run to the Desert were hosted in Moses Lake at the Grant County Fairgrounds but moved north to Soap Lake to mitigate costs.
“We thought it was a perfect situation – for many years there were always motorcycle events and runs in Soap Lake and for the last 10 years, there hadn’t been nothing. So we decided to move our event from Moses Lake.”
The Run to the Desert is now in its third year in Soap Lake, garnering continued support from the local community.
“This will be our third year in Soap Lake itself, the sixth year of the event,” Carson said. “I think we found a home there because the community welcomes us. They are amazing with their support within the businesses. The Soap Lake Business Coalition supports us, and the city council.”
The rally has different events occurring throughout the weekend, including karaoke on Friday night, the second annual John Larson Poker Run and a bike show on Saturday.
“All the money raised from the poker run goes to the food bank under the name of John Larson,” Carson said. “Right afterward, we have a bike show for trophies. The poker run starts at 8:30 a.m., get back around 11 a.m. I start registration at 11 a.m. for the bike show, we do judging at 1 p.m.”
Other events include biker games, which sees motorcyclists participate in fun games that have either one of two riders pairing up for various competitions.
“It’s a good time,” Carson said of the biker games. “We do one where – it’s called the balloon toss – where the rider on a bike has someone on the back and they go underneath kind of an arch system, and the person on the back has to throw the balloon up over the arch as they travel under it on the bike, and try to catch it without breaking it.”
Carson said that the Run to the Desert typically brings out riders not only from the Basin, but across the Pacific Northwest.
“We get a lot of people from the west side come over,” she said. “We get a lot of people from northern Idaho, and we usually get a couple of big groups that normally show up from Oregon.”
Festivities – including vendors, music and more – will occur at Smokiam Park in Soap Lake. Admission is free.
Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.
