Community newspaper serving Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley and surrounding area
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Community newspaper serving Kingsville, Leamington, Wheatley and surrounding area
A vital aspect of the community was given a huge leg-up on the weekend as thousands descended upon Leamington’s Seacliff Park for the annual Hogs for Hospice Motorcycle Rally, August 4-6.
Things kicked off Friday night with a rock and roll concert night featuring Creed lead singer Scott Stapp and his band, with opening act Honeymoon Suite.
Both acts brought some lively rock songs and great memories back to the park for a packed hill and pit area at the Sunset Amphitheatre.
Honeymoon Suite’s last visit to Leamington was in about 1985, where they played a concert at the height of their popularity at the Roller Alley
— now the Leamington Portuguese Club. Stapp performed many Creed hits, including a moving rendition of Arms Wide Open.
Canada’s Honeymoon Suite hit the crowd with hits like Burning in Love and New Girl Now, both hits from 1984.
The afterparty at the Roma Club was packed with concert-goers and local residents who wanted to enjoy a good time.
Saturday morning’s Tour The Tip had area residents lining the streets leading to Point Pelee as about 1,000 motorcycles made the trip through the area. Many of them made the trip to Kingsville, where the streets were closed to welcome the riders for a few hours of music, food drink and celebration.
Lots of activity, meanwhile, was happening at Seacliff Park, where many watched the shows of the FMX Pro-Riders group, who put on exciting aerial jumps along Seacliff Drive.
Food and merchandise vendors lined the pathways of the park, giving the event a true festival atmosphere.
Saturday night, the lineups were indicative of the crowd gathering inside the confines of the concert venue as over 6,000 people jam-packed the Sunset Amphitheatre hill and pit area for the country music show.
A Thousand Horses got the crowd warmed up nicely for headliner Jake Owen, who hit the stage around 9 pm, performing hits like Beachin’ and The One That Got Away.
According to Hogs committee member Joe Oswald, this was the first concert they’ve held in the event’s history where it was sold out before the event, with no tickets available at the gate.
Sunday included the Biker Games Rodeo put on by the Bad Examples Riders Club, who also held a junior biker rodeo prior to the adult version.
Oswald and his committee — Donnie Pacheco, Dave Hodare, Brian Cornies, Tim Iles, Kevin Safrance and Benji Mastronardi — orchestrated a perfect weekend for all involved.
Oswald was quick to credit the over-400 volunteers who work hard before, during and after the event and also the corporate sponsors, who make the event more financial- ly feasible to put on. Volunteers were visible in their orange or white t-shirts at every turn, whether out on the streets directing traffic, at the gates, or throughout the park helping shuttle people back and forth.
Oswald said the weekend couldn’t have gone any better.
“I don’t know if there’s a better word than perfect,” he said.
The true winner of course, is the Hospice, Erie Shores Campus, which will benefit from the weekend proceeds and those of the 50-50 raffle, which was sitting at just over $300,000 at press time.
Tickets for that are available until Thursday at 11:59 pm by visiting hogsforhospice.com.
