Organizers expecting thousands of bikes as American Freedoms Motorcyle Rally kicks off in Corbin today

A local promotions company owner admits with a smile that he doesn’t even own a motorcycle – a bit of irony that makes him laugh as he works feverishly on the eve of a patriotic-themed motorcycle rally in Corbin that is expected to draw in around 5,000 bikes this week.

The American Freedoms Motorcycle Rally and Event kicks off today at The Arena at the Southeastern Kentucky Ag. And Expo Center in south Corbin. Gates to the event open at 5:00 p.m. A parade of bikes, featuring area mayors and judge-executives, will take place downtown at 6:00 p.m.

Mark Creech, President of Randmar Entertainment, says a year of planning is finally coming to fruition. He along with Larry Siler, an employee of the management company that runs The Arena, are the principle planners of the event.

"I’m not a biker. They keep telling me I need to get a bike," Creech says, clearly tired from the Herculean effort necessary to put the event together. "Larry came to me and said we needed to do a bike rally. I was like, nah. I kind of played it off. I just wanted to do some concerts and stuff. But then I started thinking about it and researching it a little bit and decided to give it a shot."

That roll of the dice could pay off in a big way if the rally proves a success. Already, Creech said state and local agencies with taxpayer tourism dollars at their disposal are anxious to jump on board if he proves a rally of this size is feasible in Corbin.
The rally will run through Saturday and will really be more like a community festival. Each day will have typical biker rally events like "burn out" competitions, long rides though scenic areas and "scavenger runs." But there’s much more for the average family, even for people not even into motorcycles. The agenda includes: concerts, dunking booths, a pool tournament, a cornhole tournament, mechanical bull, inflatables and play areas for kids, a custom bike show, a fireworks display, hot air balloon rides, mixed martial arts fights and even a genuine Louisiana crawfish boil.

"We wanted it to be a family oriented event with a military theme," Creech said. "A lot of the rallies are adult-type rallies. This is family oriented and I think there are many people out there that are interested in coming because of that."

Randmar is partnering with the Some Gave All Foundation to give the American Freedoms Rally military presence. Some Gave All is an organization, created in 2007 with the first Frazier-Mason Some Gave All Memorial Ride, that honors men and women who have given their lives in military service and to support the families they leave behind.

On Saturday beginning at 3:30 pm. at the Rally, there will be a military appreciation event that both Creech and Siler said would be something special. On Wednesday, a replica of the Vietnam War Memorial, complete with its iconic obsidian walls, will be erected at the Corbin Center for Technology and Community activities.

"The military appreciation ceremony is going to be awesome," Creech said. "I think having a military theme to this has been huge. I had a gentleman come up to me, a Vietnam Vet, in the middle of Wal Mart and shook my hand and started crying. He told me how much he appreciated what we were doing. That meant a lot. Having the wall there means a lot to him. That will be kind of an event within an event."

Today’s kickoff festivities will culminate in a concert by The Kentucky Headhunters. The rally will be open until midnight each day. Gates open at 5:00 p.m. today and at noon Thursday and Friday. Gates open at 10:00 a.m. Saturday.

Admission to the rally is $4 per person. There may be additional admission costs to watch the pool tournament or see the custom bike show inside The Arena.

On Saturday, the rally is partnering with the City of Corbin for its annual July 4 celebration, always held on July 3.
Creech said he knows he’s rolling the dice planning such a big rally first time out. But the reward could be big as well if it works out.

"We really don’t know what to expect. It could be anywhere from 10,000 bikes to 10. We think it’s going to be a good crowd, though, from all indications."

For more information on this event, go to www. americanfreedomsrally.com