Photos: Cool rides cruise in to Tioga Downs

On Saturday, Sept. 29, Tioga Downs Casino Resort in Nichols, N.Y., Southern Tier Harley Davidson out of Binghamton, N.Y., and the American Cruisers Car Club presented the annual car and motorcycle show, which typically takes place at the end of September each year.

The weather was a bit cooler for the show, but didn’t slow down the attendance. According to Erica Miller, tourism sales manager at Tioga Downs Casino Resort, there were close to 200 cars and over 100 motorcycles that arrived for the show, held this year on the blacktop and in front of the resort’s hotel.

The new location on the property, according to Miller, better accommodated the cars and bikes as the field remained soggy from excessive rainfall this year. But the change, according to those that attended, worked for the better.

“I actually like it better here,” said Greg Zyla, who represented Lucas Oil and Auto Round-Up Magazine at this year’s show.

Dave Mareck, who was assisting Zyla, stated that the show actually looked much larger in the new location, and that its central location to the casino and its amenities was an added plus.

And the show, which ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offered live music by Project Z, areas to sit and relax and eat or just listen to the music, various vendors selling miniature car collections, apparel, food, and of course, the display of cool rides.

Zyla and Mareck offered guests a free copy of the latest Auto Round-Up Magazine and held a raffle for various Lucas Oil products and t-shirts at their show tent.

The American Cruisers Car Club, who serves as a sponsor and whose members work the show, had some of their own rides roll in. And according to one member of the club, which formed in 2012, this is the ninth year that they have sponsored the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” event.

For more information on the club, contact Cruise Coordinator Gabe Oakley by email to GabeTheGear@aol.com, or visit http://american2012cruisers.com.

Also joining in the event was Southern Tier Harley Davidson (STHD), located in Binghamton. Each year the “Christmas for Kids” Hog Ride, which benefits area children at Christmas time, holds their benefit ride in conjunction with the car and motorcycle show.

Named in honor of John “Wah” Oleski – the former assistant director of the Binghamton HOG Chapter, the proceeds from the ride, which departs from STHD’s Front Street location in Binghamton, N.Y., benefit the annual gift giving effort. 

For this event, Tioga Downs matched their donations by 100 percent.

According to Carrie Graham, marketing coordinator at Southern Tier Harley Davidson, they had 74 registered motorcycles, and 94 total with passengers for this police escorted ride to Tioga Downs. 

And because of the match by Tioga Downs, the effort raised $5,010 to buy gifts for local children this holiday season. They also raised $154 with a donated table that was raffled off on the day of the event.

In December, according to Graham, HOG members will go and buy the gifts based on age categories and then deliver them for distribution during the area’s Toys for Tots effort. 

 

 

“It’s so much fun to go and buy the gifts,” said Graham, adding, “My daughter is eleven now and she still goes with me to buy the gifts.”

The Christmas for Kids ride has taken place for over 25 years, and has raised over $100,000 to benefit children in the area. To learn more about the ride, or other fundraising efforts at STHD, you can contact them by calling
(607) 773-0264 or online at www.sthd.com.

To learn more about Tioga Downs Casino Resort, visit www.tiogadowns.com. 

To view more photos, click on the thumbnail to enlarge, and click the back button to return to the gallery. All photos by Wendy Post.

 

 

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