EASTERN KENTUCKY – This weekend is the 20th annual Randy Jones Memorial Hillbilly Christmas in July motorcycle ride, which starts in Pikeville Saturday and runs through Johnson and Magoffin counties, all in the name of raising money for the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Lexington.
The ride, slated for July 19, will start in Pikeville and make its way through Prestonsburg and Salyersville, and end at the Appalachian Wireless Arena in Pikeville, with everyone invited to participate – not just motorcycles.
Jimmy Kinney told Mortimer Media Group they will be leaving the MineShaft Harley-Davidson store in Pikeville at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and will drive through Prestonsburg and Paintsville before rolling through Salyersville around 3 p.m.
Kinney was in town this week picking up the Floyd County Shrine Club’s new van they just purchased to help transport children from the Floyd County area for doctor’s visits.
“When you come and ride with us and you do what we do with the ticket money and all, this is where your money is going- toward these vans and at the hospital,” Kinney said.
“Thank everyone for the support over the last 20 years. This is a big year for us and we’re so pleased to be doing what we’re doing,” Kinney said. “With the help of all of our community around, it’s just been a success. Come out and join us and be a part of it.”
While the forecast is giving a chance for rain, Kinney said that won’t stop them.
“If you’re a motorcycle rider, you’ve been caught in the rain, so we’ll be putting kickstands up at 1 o’clock and we’ll be riding very cautiously through our route and we’ll return back at Appalachian Wireless Arena and doing our drawing for our motorcycle and more door prizes, and a silent auction – all kinds of good stuff. We will ride at 1 o’clock,” Kinney said.
Tickets can be bought at the MineShaft Harley-Davidson store in Pikeville until the ride starts on Saturday and even at the arena after the ride before the drawing starts. People can register as many times as they want, but you have to be present to win.
Kinney also reminded the public of what the ride is all about – helping the children.
“If you know of a child who needs help, you do not have to have a referral from a doctor or anyone,” Kinney said “Call the hospital direct and they’ll set you up and, if you don’t have transportation, they will call the local Shriners club and get you transportation for your child. There’s no reason why, if you have a child you’re concerned about you can have it checked out by Shriners Hospital and it’s all free. If you have insurance, they’ll take it, and if you don’t have insurance, you’re fine. You don’t pay a co-pay or anything. We need to find that child who needs help and let’s get it help.”
To request a new patient appointment at Shriners Hospital for Children in Lexington, call 859-268-5675 or 800-444-8314.
Over the past 19 years, Hillbilly Christmas in July has taken more than 50,000 toys to the Shriners Hospital in Lexington. They’ve donated the $300,000 all-access playground back to the city of Pikeville, the first of its kind in the state of Kentucky. With the money from this year, they have raised $957,500 for the hospital, collecting $81,500 last year alone, setting them up to hit their goal of $1 million in 20 years.
The whole event started 20 years ago when Jimmy Kinney wanted to take some toys to the Shriners Hospital and did so, but when he got there, they were beyond grateful for the gifts, especially since a lot of times they run out of toys around July of each year for all the kids who seek treatment at Shriners.
Kinney came back and with his friend, Randy Jones, “The Voice,” who has since passed away, and they jumped right to it. Randy spread the word with his radio listeners, and the next trip they delivered 2,000 toys. Building on that, the next year they raffled away a motorcycle, donated by Wes Blackburn, who has also since passed away, raffling off a motorcycle nearly every year since that second ride.
