Volunteers needed to staff IFMR booth in New Orleans

Long-time IFMR members and frequent convention attendees Bill Fee and Ken Brandt are working on plans for the IFMR booth in the House of Friendship at the New Orleans convention, as well as arrangements for an IFMR membership meeting and fellowship dinner.

Plans for the IFMR booth include show-casing Bob "POLIO PLUS" Mutchler's side-car motorcycle in the booth, plus the usual displays of photos and hand-outs describing our fellowship and events, membership forms, etc. At last year's convention in Montreal, we signed up some 30 new members at the IFMR booth. We hope to do the same at this year's convention.

In order to do that we need volunteers to help us staff the booth for a few hours every day the House of Friendship is open, beginning Saturday May 21 thru May 25. If you plan to be in New Orleans and can help staff the IFMR booth for a few hours, please contact Bill Fee (wsfee@comcast.net) or Ken Brandt (keystnken@aol.com) and let them know about your interest and availability.

Also, if you have photos from one of the IFMR get-togethers/rides in your area that you'd like to have included in the photo display in the booth, send those along to them as well.

Day Rides planned after arrival in New Orleans

For IFMR riders who would like to see more of the local country-side after arrival at the convention center, a pair of Friday afternoon rides have been planned by local riders lead by Mark Shirley in Baton Rouge:

* To Oak Valley Plantation, along winding river roads to an exquisite plantation and a great restaurant

* Along the Gulf Coast to Biloxi where we will visit MS Coast Harley Davidson and eat at the Hard rock Café

Additional rides and self-guided route information is also being prepared; and experienced local Ride Captains will also be available for guided rides in the bayou country and beyond.

Each IFMR Ride Captain will have information on the various rides that are available.  Meanwhile, If you want additional local ride or route information in advance of your arrival, contact Mark Shirley directly at marks@dandwcpa.org or 225-769-5711.

Harley Davidson of Baton Rouge plans "Bike Night" for arriving IFMR riders

Mark Shirley and his team of Baton Rouge Rotarians have been contacting local motorcycle dealers and clubs to alert them to the expected arrival of the IFMR POLIO PLUS riders and to be prepared to provide service for any who may need it when they arrive.  They have arranged for Harley-Davidson of Baton Rouge to host a ‘bike night’ with food and band for IFMR riders on Thursday night, May 19, and staging for the group’s departure on Friday morning for New Orleans.

Mark and his team are also coodinating with local law enforcement and news media to alert them to the expected Thursday arrival and the group’s ride to the convention site in New Orleans on Friday, as well as working out logisitical details of the arrival in New Orleans with RI’s Shari Pontillo, New Orleans police, and others.

Several RI VIPs plan to join the IFMR riders in New Orleans for the final leg from the Super Dome to the Moreal Convention Center. Arrangements are being made for side-car rigs and trikes to carry the VIPs, whom Rotary does not allow to ride on regular motorcycles.

Baton Rouge Rotarians Prepare for IFMR Arrival

Volunteers from the Baton Rouge Capital City Rotary Club are gearing up to make the arrival of IFMR POLIO PLUS riders on May 19 an exciting but safe event. Mark Shirley, past president of the Capital City Rotary Club and board member of the local HOG chapter, is coordinating details with local motorcycle dealers, state and local police, hotels, tourism agencies, news media, and others.

Phillipa Blair, a Capital City Rotary member and director of visitation services at Visit Baton Rouge, offered the help of her office, including their brochure on interesting motorcycling routes in Louisiana for those who may want to explore the area on day trips during the Rotary convention.

Anticipating perhaps 100 IFMR riders and their passengers arriving in Baton Rouge on May 19, Shirley has talked with local Harley and other motorcycle dealers about hospitality and fellowship events to greet arriving riders. He is also discussing arrangements for police escorts that may be needed for the group in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and in between on May 20, as well as contacting local hotels to make sure there are adequate rooms to accommodate everyone, including the possibility of a larger-than-expected turn-out.

Both Shirley and Blair are working directly with IFMR Ride Captains on details, which the Ride Captains will pass along to their riders. However, if you have specific questions about possible day-trip routes or other local details, you can contact the directly at

   Mark Shirley (marks@dandwcpa.org) 1-225-769-5711
   Phillipa Blair (Philipa@visitbatonrouge.com) 1-225-382-3586

If you contact them directly, be sure to thank them for their volunteer support of IFMR and POLIO PLUS riders.

Lodging enroute and in Baton Rouge and New Orleans

Lodging information for New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and stops enroute is now being posted.  Information for the Albany-New Orleans group is now posted at left; New Orleans information is now posted at right.  The room situation in New Orleans is tight.  Additional rooms are also being arranged in Baton Rouge to accommodate everyone despite the fact that LSU graduation is going on that week and consuming many rooms in that area.  Lodging information for other routes will be posted as it becomes available.  Meanwhile, contact the Ride Captain for your route if you have questions.

The RV Fellowship of Rotary has campground space arranged at the University of New Orleans and has extended an invitation to IFMR members interested in camping there during the convention. If you wish to explore that option, contact RVF president Reba Lovrien at 505-350-3386 (president@rvfweb.org) or president-elect Bob Craig at 315-668-1362 (preselect@rvfweb.org) for more information.

Overnight Stops for IFMR POLIO PLUS rides to New Orleans announced

  Overnight stops for all POLIO PLUS ride routes have now been tentatively identified and are listed below, along with contact information for their Ride Captains.  Please contact the Ride Captain on the route nearest you to let him know of your interest and to arrange rendezvous points for you and other riders to join the group, or to arrange for a 'meet & greet' event for the group.

ALBANY, NY –
                    Bob Shriner (rshriner@aol.com)
                    Charlie Foote (bcfoot@aol.com)
                    Bill Smith (smithatlg@aol.com)
     Sunday, May 15 -- Hagerstown, MD
     Monday, May 16 -- Roanoke (Troutville), VA
     Tuesday, May 17 -- Cherokee, NC
     Weds, May 18 --  Tuscaloosa, AL
     Thurs, May 19 --  Baton Rouge, LA (groups converge)
      Friday, May 20 -- NEW  ORLEANS

CHICAGO/EVANSTON –
                        David.Phelps@EffectusLLC.com
                        Bob Mutchler (tunerman1@aol.com)
     Tuesday, May 17 – St. Louis, MO
     Weds, May 18 – Memphis, TN
     Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge, LA (groups converge)
     Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS
    
SACRAMENTO –
             Doug Holck (holckster@aol.com)
             Helmut Sommer (hgsommer@yahoo.com)
       Saturday, May 14 – Barstow, CA
        Sunday, May  15 – Flagstaff, AZ
        Monday, May 16 – Albuquerque, NM
        Tues, May 17 – Amarillo, TX
        Weds, May 18 – Dallas, TX
        Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge (groups converge)
        Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS

SEATTLE – 

               Marc Baker (Mqbhdrotary@gmail.com)
               Otto Rieve (ottorieve@telus.net)
        Friday, May 13 – Boise, ID
        Saturday, May 14 – Ely, NV (or Delta, UT)
        Sunday, May 15 – Pueblo, CO
        Monday, May 16 – Amarillo, TX
        Tues/Weds, May 17 & 18 – Dallas, TX
        Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge, LA
         Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS

MIAMI, FL – 
               Allen Leggett (alsu@sbcglobal.net)
               Earl Halle (ebhalle@aol.com)
      Tuesday, May 17 – Tampa, FL
      Weds, May 18 – Panama City Beach, FL
      Thurs, May 19 – Baton Rouge, LA (groups converge)
       Friday, May 20 – NEW ORLEANS

Mark your calendar; spread the word; contact your nearest Ride Captain; and join us for the IFMR POLIO PLUS rides!

IFMR Plans Motorcycle Rides to New Orleans to raise funds for POLIO PLUS

   The International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians (IFMR) recently announced plans for motorcycle rides to the Rotary International convention in New Orleans from several different parts of the country to help raise funds for POLIO PLUS, Rotary’s continuing effort to stamp out polio everywhere in the world. The funds raised will help complete the funds required to match a $200 million grant to POLIO PLUS from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

    Once again IFMR will be encouraging its members and other Rotary motorcyclists to ride to the convention; but this time IFMR is making a special effort to organize rides and raise awareness to promote contributions to Rotary’s POLIO PLUS
campaign. It’s also asking riders to pledge amounts per mile for their ride to New Orleans and also raise additional pledges from their local clubs, club members, and friends, all payable to the Rotary Foundation POLIO PLUS fund.

   Four different ride groups – funneling riders from the west and northwest, from the central region, and from the east and northeast – have been set in motion. From Sacramento, Seattle, Chicago, Miami, and Albany, all coming together in Baton Rouge on May 19 for a grand entrance into New Orleans on May 20.

Imagine the impact of all four groups of IFMR motorcyclists arriving in New Orleans at the same time, ready to deliver their checks and pledges to the Rotary Foundation’s POLIO PLUS effort.

   IFMR’s plans for the POLIO PLUS rides are being closely coordinated with Rotary International leaders, Rotary Foundation trustees, and the 2011 Rotary Convention Promotion Committee, all of whom have offered their strong encouragement and support to help make this IFMR effort for POLIO PLUS a big success.

   As information about the rides has begun to reach other IFMR chapters in  other countries, we’ve begun to receive queries about the routes and about rental bikes for international riders who might want to join one of the rides, both to show their support for POLIO PLUS and for the opportunity to see new parts of the US with other IFMR members. What a great opportunity for fellowship among international Rotary motorcycling friends!

   All riders will be encouraged to pledge or raise as much as possible, aiming for an average $1/mile to New Orleans in pledges for every rider. But no one will be excluded. Clubs along the way will also be encouraged to send riders, to send pledges, and to arrange ‘meet and greet’ events with riders passing thru their area enroute to New Orleans. Whether or not you can make the ride yourself, you can still help by raising funds and pledges in your club, your community, and your Rotary district. You can also help by organizing a group of riders from your area to meet and ride with the group on to New Orleans, or just for a few hours or miles, or just for a brief ‘meet & greet”.

Help spread the word and join in the ride!

You’ll hear and read more about it here as details are worked out. Meanwhile, mark your calendar, spread the word, and plan to ride to New Orleans. Contact the Ride Captains shown below to let them know of your interest and to arrange rendezvous points enroute.

ALBANY, NY -- May 15-20
                Bob Shriner (rshriner@aol.com)
                Charlie Foote (bcfoot@aol.com)
                Bill Smith (smithatlg@aol.com)

CHICAGO/EVANSTON -- May 17-20 
                David.Phelps@EffectusLLC.com
                Bob Mutchler (tunerman1@aol.com)

SACRAMENTO -- May 14-20
               Doug Holck (holckster@aol.com)
               Helmut Sommer (hgsommer@yahoo.com)

SEATTLE -- May 13-20
               Marc Baker (Mqbhdrotary@gmail.com)
               Otto Rieve (ottorieve@telus.net)

MIAMI, FL  -- May 17-20 (Added Route)
               Allen Leggett (alsu@sbcglobal.net)
               Earl Halle (ebhalle@aol.com)