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Tuesday, February 9, 2010 | Serving Del Rio and Val Verde County: Since 1929
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St. Patrick’s Day Run roars into town
Published March 19, 2006
The 31st annual Saint Patrick Day Run took place this past Saturday with about twelve hundred motorcyclists attending the festivities throughout the weekend.
Del Rio hosts the third largest run in the state of Texas.
“No one messes with the Del Rio Run,” Ruben “Wild Thing” Cruz president of the Gypsy MC Del Rio Chapter (GMCDRC) said.
“This is the third largest-and still growing.” Herb “Torque” Wade GMCDRC Treasure said. “This year it was low because of the weather.”
“There are people that come all the way from Kansas just for this run,” Cruz said.
“I attend about 42 rallies a year,” Midget of Cleveland said. “This is the best motorcycle rally in the state of Texas.”
“The environment, people, and Mexico make it so great,” Midget said. “Del Rio Gypsies are the finest people you will ever meet.”
“There are excellent activities in Del Rio,” Midget said. “So I stay about two weeks here-so I can party with the finest people in the world.”
The rally is a family event that children can enjoy just as much as the adults.
“Our kids become junior members,” Wade said. “We do not exclude them from our activities — I never went to a rally that I could not take my family.”
One of the phrases that we use is “Family First.” They sponsor kids’ t-ball, a kids bowling team, and a men’s bowling team.
David Schuler of Del Rio has been attending the Saint Patrick Day Run for many years and commented that it has really evolved over the years.
“It outgrew the Elks Lodge ten years ago with 600 people but they did not move it until last year ago,” Schuler said.
The bikers do not have police “breathing down their necks” watching their every move; all they have are two sheriffs’ officers at the entrance to control the traffic.
“The people police themselves.” Cruz said. “We never have a problem with fights, wrecks, or stealing.”
“We have not had any major problems,” Schuler said. “We have had some minor problems-which is expected when you have 1,200 people together.”
This is the first year Dick Galleway of Odessa has made the run to Del Rio. Now it’s one that he plans on attending in the years to come.
“Money that is raised we use in November for the Toys for Tots,” Cruz. “Which is a program that helps the less fortunate in the community.”
The GMCDRC was able to donate around for thousand dollars last year, and what was left they donated to the Sheriffs Office Santa’s.
“We do not worry about how much money we make,” Cruz said. What we make we give out.”
“We try to help out the community as much as we can.” Wade said. “Keeping money aside for November does not keep us helping other people in the Del Rio area that are in need.”
“We donate to a lot of things that we do not plan for at the beginning of the year,” Cruz said.
“We do not only directly help the organizations we donate to-but the economy of Del Rio also,” Cruz said.
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