Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84Winter 2014 | IRON BUTT MAGAZINE  FEATURED LONG-DISTANCE EVENT The Moonshine Lunch Run By Scott “Bones” Williams MOONSHINE, ILLINOIS POPU LATION ) can be hard to find. Without the coordinates, GPS won’t get you there. But that doesn’t stop more than , motorcyclists from riding there in early spring when the weather is cold or wet, and often both. They gather at Moonshine Store for a Moonburger, a straightforward Amer- ican hamburger that has won accolades from local farmers, national food crit- ics and motorcyclists all over. If you haven’t heard of the Moon- shine Lunch Run, don’t be surprised. It’s not a commercial event, so there are no sponsors to promote its exis- tence. It’s just a bunch of people who like to ride long distances to be with other people who like to do the same. And, in keeping with tradition, they have a Moonburger.That’s about it. This annual rider gathering was started by Terry Hammond, a farmer from Casey, Illinois who loved to rack up miles on a motorcycle. “When I’m riding around for  hours a day on a tractor,” Terry said, “I’m dreaming of where I’m going to go on a motorcycle.” Back in , Terry was looking ahead to spring, Feeling a little down, motorcycling would end for him once farming started. The camaraderie with other riders he loved so much would have to wait until summer. But all those hours on a tractor gave him time to think, and Terry got an idea. He posted an invitation on a rider forum: if any riders cared to join him for lunch in rural southeastern Illinois in early spring, he was buying. Terry’slocalfriendsthoughttheidea was crazy, but knew there were riders who would “get it.” Jerry Wagner was the first. He rode from Kentucky, went down half the gravel roads in Clark County and finally found Moonshine Store. Jerry fessed up to Terry about getting lost, they shared a laugh and got acquainted over Moonburgers.The Moonshine Lunch Run (MLR) was born. In , Terry sent out the same invitation and  riders from  states showed up.Year after year,word spread and numbers grew.The record of , riders was set in . Getting to Moonshine involves effort and commitment that people who have not ridden there don’t always understand. One year, the day before MLR, Terry received an email from a guy asking him to reschedule the event since the weather was so cold and wet. Terry replied that he didn’t know what he’d tell the  riders who’d already arrived from  states. Terry conceived of MLR as a fun event to bring riders together.Through his generous example, it also became a way of supporting worthy causes. Each year, participants donate many thousands of dollars that help people in crisis, support music education, provide hope for orphans and deliver crucial community services. Every- thing that’s sold is donated and all the money raised goes to charity. This giving spirit continues the tradition that Terry started and that makes Moonshine unique. Terry believed the Moonshine phe- nomenon proves that people will take a chance on others. “It’s about trust,” he said. “Why else would people come here, this time of year? I just thought it would be cool if we could forget about being a Harley guy or a BMW guy or Kawasaki guy, and all get together because we all like to ride. It’s amazing the friendships we make over a silly hamburger in the middle of nowhere.” He was a man of many,many words, but to understand what Moonshine is truly about, consider what he recently said (with his trademark punctua- tion): “If you don’t make it to Moon- shine,,, you ain’t a Motorcycle Rider,,, you’re just a Motorcycle Owner!!!” It’s probably safe to assume that since you’re reading this magazine, you’re a “motorcycle rider” and, therefore, have a duty to show up! Better still, do the Curt Gran Memorial Moonshine SSk on the way. Curt not only rode in  Iron Butt Rally,but also helped organize the first SSk for riders heading to Moon- shine. After he died tragically in , the Moonshine SSk was renamed in his honor. The Curt Gran Memorial Moonshine SSk has dozens of start points all over the US and paperwork is minimal (odometer and gas receipts from start, turn and finish). Riders can begin April , , but must com- plete their ride in less than  hours and check in at the Casey Days Inn no later than : p.m.local time on April , . Rick Martin and other IBA members will be at the finish to wit- ness and accept paperwork. To learn more and register for the SSk, visit https://sites.google.com/ site/mlrssk/home. The Moonshine Lunch Run takes place April , . To learn more about MLR and sign up, visit www.moonshine-run.com. Both sites should be updated by Janu- ary .