Bikers gather in Preston for 16th annual dedication and prayer event

Riders came to Preston for the Snoqualmie Valley Ministerial Association’s 16th Biker Dedication.

By Evan Pappas • May 23, 2019 1:30 am

Bikers and community members gathered on Saturday, May 18, for the Snoqualmie Valley Ministerial Association’s 16th annual Biker Dedication.

As the summer approaches and weather gets betters, bikers will be getting back on the roads. Hosted at the Raging River Community Church in Preston, bikers from around the region came out to pray for their safety on the roads this year.

Roy Peacock, pastor of the Raging River Community Church, said the event began when local biker Bill “Wild Bill” Chase approached him with the idea. Peacock and volunteers at the church have been organizing the event since 2003.

Attendees gathered beneath the bridge on the church property for a barbecue lunch, live music and conversation before everyone stood together in a circle to pray for safety on the roads.

Attendees included other pastors in the Snoqualmie Valley Ministerial Association (SMVA), as well as bikers who are part of local chapters in the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA).

Jeff Darr, president of the Redmond CMA chapter, said Peacock reached out to them as he was putting together the event in the beginning, and the Redmond chapter has been a part of it ever since.

“I’ve been coming here for 16 years and it’s a great way to get the riding season started,” he said.

Bringing together the community through faith, Darr said, is an important addition to the safety precautions and techniques the bikers use daily.

Don Erlitz, pastor of MountainView Christian Fellowship in North Bend and president of the SVMA, said his group sponsors the event to support the bikers on the roads and the dangers that come with it. The dangers posed are not necessarily from the bikers themselves, but from other vehicles on the road with large blind spots.

“We sponsor this because with thinks it’s important… to give them a blessing at the beginning,” he said. “I come mainly to meet these guys. We don’t care if they are Christians or not — we want to bless them and bless their ride.”

For more information on the Christian Motorcycle Association, go online to www.cmausa.org.