TEXARKANA, Ark. - This Saturday's 2nd annual Ark-La-Tex Burn Run organized by the Texarkana chapter of Brother's Keepers brings plenty of entertainment to Crossties in the name of helping children.
Held from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., the Ark-La-Tex Burn Run will raise funds for Watersprings Ranch and Camp I'm Still Me with an event full of live music, a car and bike show, casino nights, children's activities, vendors, a live auction and more at the downtown venue.
Hilary "Fireball" Bayless, the chapter secretary, explains that the Brother's Keepers chapter is a group of firefighters and their spouses who ride motorcycles and love helping children. This event is open to the community with free admission, apart from fees for certain events.
Heather Linn and Jase will perform from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., followed by EJ Mathews and Friends from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. At 6 p.m., an auction with unique, handmade items will be held. For $10, people can participate in the indoor poker run. Casino night starts at 8 p.m. with blackjack, Texas hold 'em and roulette at a cost of $15 for singles and $25 for couples.
"We love to ride our motorcycles but then we love helping kids," Bayless said.
They raise money for Texarkana's Watersprings Ranch that supports education and housing for children who live there. Generally, 30 to 40 kids live there year-round, said Bayless. Brother's Keepers as a whole - across the U.S., Canada and Australia - also supports Camp I'm Still Me's summer camp in Scottsville, Texas
"It is a summer camp for kiddos that have survived being burned and have to have special care," Bayless said. "A lot of them went through so many medical procedures and whatnot. Of course, it's other children like them."
The summer camp is a place where they belong.
"We raise money to help run this camp, and it's no cost to the parents," Bayless said.
Saturday will start with registration for the car and bike show, but it also includes a group memorial ride to Doc's seafood restaurant in Garland, Arkansas, in honor of two members lost in 2019.
They'll provide a full day of entertainment at Crossties, including bounce houses for the children, all day long and into the night. People can come and go all day. Smoke Point will attend to provide food.
"We do have chapters coming in from as far as Kentucky right now to help support us," Bayless said.
Expect awards and trophies to be given at the car and bike show in several different classes, plus the best of show. "We are super excited about that," Bayless said, noting COVID-19 put a halt to this event last year, which was started the year prior.
"But our first event was in 2019, and we were able to raise $14,000 that we were able to give to Watersprings and Camp I'm Still Me, so I'm really hoping to surpass that goal this year," Bayless said.
(Crossties is located at 324 E. Broad St. For more information, visit BKMC8th.com/events.)