Participants brave the threatening weather to benefit Special Olympics at Cruisin’ for a Cause

[July 13, 2021]     Saturday’s unstable and sometimes volatile weather took its toll on outdoor events in Lincoln. But, the heavy clouds, occasional rains, high winds, and tornado warnings did not dampen the spirits of event organizers as all moved forward making the best of what they had.

The first event to be impacted was the “Cruisin’ for a Cause” benefit at the Oasis Senior Center. The cruise-in car and motorcycle show was a fun day and a fundraiser for the Lincoln Park District Special Olympics teams.

The event began at noon with a number of cars on display as well as motorcycles and a couple of fire trucks. Food was being prepared on the west end of the Oasis building and tents were set up so that visitors could eat in comfort.

In the back side of the building a bounce house was set up for youngsters to enjoy.

Notable guests at the cruise-in included 2020 Logan County Fair Queen Faith Doerr and Little Miss Logan County Aubrey Rogers. The two made the rounds, checking out all the cars and motorcycles and on occasion posing for pictures in front of the cars.

Then, Little Miss Aubrey was drawn to the bounce house and in spite of her royal garb, could not resist getting inside and expending a little energy bouncing about.

The motorcycles primarily belonged to the United Riders of Central Illinois. The United Riders are long standing supporters of Special Olympics dating back to the days when Logan County hosted a polar plunge at Lincoln Lakes.

Several of those members spent time mingling with visitors and sharing a lunch table with members of the Special Olympics Team.

The city of Lincoln Fire Department brought out one of its trucks as did the Mount Pulaski Rural Fire Protection District.

While the attendance was small, those in attendance were having a good time enjoying a mid-day event while doing something good to benefit members of our community.

[Nila Smith]