Wilson 10-33 Benefit Run and Picnic - Hillsborough, New Jersey

Hillsborough is a small town located in southern Somerset County in New Jersey, surrounded by farmlands and rolling country roads. The run and the picnic that followed started at the Hillsborough Fire Department, of which Wilson is a member. The start time was listed as 11a.m., but at just minutes before, riders were still pouring in, so much so that the organizers had to commandeer a strip mall parking lot across the street when the fire department’s and adjacent radiology lots filled up. Later counts stated that 2,500 bikers plus additional passengers had registered. Motorcycle police from several different New Jersey towns came out to help the small borough organize the ride and control traffic.

The day started out cool but very sunny and was a welcomed respite from the seemingly overlong winter. A local bagel shop provided breakfast and a couple of vendors set up booths selling biker gear. A drum and bagpipe group began the festivities, and a state police helicopter did a fly-over as a bugler played the Star Spangled Banner. Officer Wilson came to thank everyone for coming, but having just completed treatment, was unable to participate. At noon, as the day warmed to a comfortable 60 degrees, 2,500 bikes started up and made their way onto US206 to begin the hour-long ride.

I’ve been on a few charity rides and several mission rides with the PGR, and I can honestly say this was one of the best. As we made our way down the main route before hitting the back roads, locals stood roadside waving, and people stopped what they were doing to watch the procession pass by. The visiting officers did a great job controlling traffic throughout the ride, helping to keep almost the entire group together. We made our way across back roads that I did not recognize (and I thought I’d covered them all), some seemingly only a single lane wide. We rode over hills high enough to see across the county and through some very pretty countryside. My friend and I stayed in the middle of the group so that I could shoot photos from front and back. As far as we know, there were no incidents, a victory considering the number of bikes participating.

A pig roast, along with the obligatory hotdogs and hamburgers, awaited our return. The band, CC & Crew, provided a good mix of country rock tunes as we lined up to get our chow and liquid refreshments. Many people who did not participate in the run arrived to enjoy the food and music and maybe meet their friends and family members who rode.

Officer Wilson has a lot of friends in Hillsborough, and there are about 4,000 helpful strangers on two and three wheels from all over New Jersey and New York who wish him a speedy recovery.

By Louise Reeves