Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/763593
38 nJanuary 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS with dripping bikes and riders. Wet gear was stripped off and hung on han- dlebars. It seemed that the toys arrived drier than those bringing them. On the main stage, toy wranglers David, James, and Jose were kept busy stacking donations as the line of leather-clad gift bearers wound down. There was less and less of the stage visible. After all the toys were dropped off I was able to talk to Danny Rey, one of the fi ve tribal council members, and he put the toy count at 3,000. Sounds like 3,000 more smiles this Christmas to me. Danny—a rider himself—was very grateful for all the participants and says Thunder Valley defi nitely considers itself biker, and community, friendly. Our entry fee included a fi ve star buffet-style help-yourself-to-way-too- much lunch with a dangerous dessert bar included. I did my best to try everything as my duty of journalistic research demands, and ouch. With almost 2,000 tickets pre-sold, and more sold at the door, it was necessary for lunch to be split into two shifts, meaning that after pigging out I had to get up and move out so others could come in to eat. That wasn't such a bad thing, as I needed to walk off the food coma, and it would give me a chance to check out the casino. This place is big! There are all types of card games, dice tables, wheels of chance, and every kind of slot machine you can imagine. Along the perimeter of the gaming fl oor is where you can fi nd fi ne dining and full-service bars on one side with more moderate choices on the opposite side. Concerts as well as comedy shows can be seen in the vari- ous halls and the place is a resort so it could be a nice overnight get-away. Once everyone had their fi ll of lunch, the casino staff quickly cleaned the hall for our entertainment of the day. The Moonshine Bandits took the stage by storm and had the house jumping to their unique brand of country and cowboy rap. "Chucky Baby," who has an interesting way of getting his point across, introduced them. Even if you think you don't like rap, the high energy and savage beat of these trouvères are worth a listen. Wobbling out of Pano Hall still under the effects of the Moonshine Bandits show/assault, the moment we all have been waiting for is near: the draw- ing for the motorcycle. Even though the doors of Harley-Davidson of Yuba City have only been open for six months under new owner- ship, a family that opened the doors to their fi rst business in 1914 has recently purchased it. If you think about it, in 1914 Harleys had pedals, and that adds up to over a century of successful business know- how. Yuba City H-D ponied up the 2016 Dyna for grabs; it was on dis- play at the end of the stage next to all the rest of the toys. Most of us there already have motorcycles, but we all took our turn drooling over the pros- pect that this bad motor scooter could be under our tree. The crowd gathered around as Troy and the Yuba City H-D crew, Deanna, Bob "The Red," and Brandon, took the stage to draw the winning ballot. You needed to be present to win, and I think everyone was, since you don't want to be the guy who leaves early then fi nds out later your name was called. The drum with the tickets was spun; the entries fl opped over lazily, and then came to a halt. Renegade Classics Troy Rowsey had the winner in his hand… Richard Fields, come on down! Cheers and groans alike were heard throughout the masses as their chance at the bike had vanished. A round of applause and the friendly Yuba City H-D staff were on hand to present the winner with their new Harley as a jubilant Richard made his way to the stage. There were other prizes to be drawn, but the big fi sh had been landed. Troy took the time to thank, and remind, everyone that it's all about the children, and vowed to do more next time. With the pulse-raising performance from the Moonshine Bandits added to the high-intensity neon and LED- fl ashing environment of the casino plus the anticipation of the bike giveaway it felt like we were moving along at a good clip. I would have to say for $20 and the chance to give an underprivi- leged boy or girl a gift, it's not a bad way to start the holiday season. 4 Renegade Toy Run Continued from page 18 (L.–r.) Troy Rowsey, Renegade Classics; Deanna, Yuba H-D; Richard Fields, winner of the bike; Bob "The Red"; Brandon, Yuba City H-D Bud Maynard is the original Santa for this toy run The shiny new Harley that Richard Fields took home Toy wranglers (l.–r.) David, James and Jose