On August 2, 2009, more than 1,800 motorcycle riders including WPMT FOX43 anchor and avid Harley rider Evan Forrester will embark on a 50 mile ride to honor York County’s longstanding relationship with Harley-Davidson at the FOX43 SAVE OUR PLANT RIDE AND RALLY.   The event will be held at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York.

FOX43 is inviting the general public to enjoy a day at the stadium, featuring speakers, food, a bike show, face painting, inflatable moon bounce, a kid’s playground and a tattoo artist!  Free concerts will be held by local artists Smokin’ Gunnz, The Martini Bros., and Joel Menchey.   The rally will begin at noon and last until 4pm.   Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is scheduled to address the crowd, alongside FOX43 News anchors Evan Forrester and Heather Warner. The FOX43 Save Our Plant Ride and Rally is free to the public.   FOX43 will record the event for posterity, and will produce a half-hour television special to run this fall, covering Harley-Davidson’s history in our area and what the company means to our community.

Prior to the rally, the 50 mile motorcycle ride will begin at 11am at Sovereign Bank Stadium.   The procession will drive past the Harley-Davidson plant on Route 30 and return to the stadium in time for the 1pm rally festivities.   More than 1,000 local bikers have already signed up to participate in the ride.   Interested bikers are encouraged to sign up at  www.FOX43.com.

On August 3, the day after the Ride and Rally, Forrester will lead a 775 mile motorcycle ride to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.   Forrester and a select group of bikers will arrive at Harley-Davidson’s Milwaukee headquarters on August 5 and present petitions and other materials to the company’s management team.   Public participation in the Milwaukee ride will be limited, so interested bikers are encouraged to visit www.FOX43.com for information on how to sign up.

The FOX43 Save Our Plant Ride and Rally was created to show support for the local people affected by the potential downsizing or closing of York’s famous Harley-Davidson plant.  

“FOX43 recognizes that Harley-Davidson leaving York would have a devastating impact on the community, reaching far beyond the plant’s 2,000 employees,” says FOX43 General Manager Larry Delia. “The ripple effect would be felt in the region for years.”

Yorkers have long carried Harley as an identifier and a source of pride.   During the plant’s 35-plus years of operation, York County has been proud that such a special and unique product calls South Central Pennsylvania home.

Let’s make a difference like the biker rebels of yore: by MAKING SOME NOISE.   Join FOX43 for the SAVE OUR PLANT RIDE AND RALLY, August 2 at Sovereign Bank Stadium in York.   For more information, visit our website at  www.FOX43.com.