2023 Critter Cruise Dice Run
2023 Critter Cruise Dice Run
Alice Perkins Memorial Motorcycle Event Supports Empire Animal Rescue Society
‘Tis the season of sunshine, outdoor adventure, and motorcycles. Surely you’ve seen riders out and about traveling the open roads. Maybe you’re one of them. Or maybe you’re not but you’d like to be. Maybe anyone who loves to ride would be happy to do it for a good cause.
All riders are welcomed at the Alice Perkins 6th Annual Critter Cruise Dice Run on Saturday, June 17th. The event supports the Empire Animal Rescue Society (E.A.R.S) and their mission to transport, foster and re-home the many dogs, cats and other animals that are rescued from varying circumstances.
All those interested in supporting our furry friends can register on the day of the event from 9:30-11:00am at the kickoff point, Iron Valley Motor Company (between Little Valley and Salamanca). Cost is just $15 each for drivers and passengers, which includes food and drink. Kickstands go up promptly at 11:00am, with the end destination being Ellicottville Distillery on Robbins Road at approximately 4:00pm.
ellicottvilleNOW recently reached out to one of the owners of Iron Valley Motor Company, Charlene Roblee, to learn more about how they became involved with the event and where riders will be headed during the Run.
eNOW: This is the 6th Annual E.A.R.S. Critter Cruise. What made Iron Valley Motor Co. want to be a part of it?
CHARLENE: This motorcycle dice run is in memory of Alice Perkins. Alice was a volunteer for Empire Animal Rescue Society who donated her time and money to the organization. We were asked by one of the E.A.R.S. members to be a part of the event by hosting the dice run at our Motorcycle Repair Facility. We have a nice size field that we will be able to accommodate everyone in and a beautiful setting that should create a great starting point for the run. We are excited to be involved and hope that our connection with motorcyclists will help raise a nice contribution to the E.A.R.S. commitment to animals. We also love animals, so it truly seemed appropriate. Check out our mascot, the mother herder of our pack!
eNOW: What is the route participants will be traveling, and what is waiting for them at the finish line?
CHARLENE: The route will start at Iron Valley Motor Company, 4978 Route 353, Salamanca, NY. We are very close to Little Valley, but our address is technically Salamanca. We will be riding to the Old Tool Tavern in Randolph, on to the Trillium in Cherry Creek, over to the Wicked Glen in Gowanda, and then to conclude at the Ellicottville Distillery. The grand culmination will involve a Chinese auction, 50/50, free food for the participants and volunteers, a DJ, and $100 for the High Roller and $100 for the low roller. There will also be adoptable dogs, puppies, cats and kittens.
eNOW: How does the dice run support E.A.R.S?
CHARLENE: The dice run will give 100% of all donations raised to the organization, so they can put it towards spaying/neutering, feeding, housing and treating the many animals that they are responsible for. It’s a noble thing that they do at E.A.R.S. The least we can do is help support the cause.
ABOUT E.A.R.S.
The Empire Animal Rescue Society is a foster-home-based rescue group that is 100% fully volunteer run. They work full-time in identifying animals in need of rescue, transporting said animals to foster homes and executing safe and responsible pet adoptions. They rescue both locally and beyond. Say a volunteer was on a road trip and they saw a lost/wounded dog on the side of the highway, they are pulling over to pick it up and if it has an owner, help the dog get home and if it does not, finding it a safe place to go. Simply put, they rescue animals 24/7. (That’s pretty amazing.)
They abide by a simple mission: rescue as many companion animals as humanly possible in the most efficient and safest manner. The adoption process is rigorous; you must first complete the detailed adoption application, call your vet and release prior records to E.A.R.S. (If you are a first-time pet owner and don’t currently have a veterinarian but have grown up with family pets, please list your family’s vet and contact info.) You must supply either a current or previous neighbor reference. Then email the form to empirerescue@gmail.com. (Keep in mind that preference is given to those who have a verifiable veterinary reference, a home or residence, completed all the forms correctly and/or are the best “lifestyle match” for the animal of interest.)
All of this work requires a fair amount of funding to help support the volunteers with all the requirements that the animals need. The 6th Annual Critter Cruise is the perfect event to help them out. Not a motorcyclist? You can attend the afterparty at the Ellicottville Distillery even if you aren’t participating in the Dice Run portion. Though that portion of the event is FREE, they just ask that you bring a can of Purina dog or cat food. (If you do, you’ll be entered into a drawing for the possibility of winning a mystery prize.)
E.A.R.S. would like to extend their thanks to Iron Valley Motor Company for offering the starting point and to the Ellicottville Distillery for hosting the afterparty. They also want to thank their Gold Sponsors: Whitcomb Home Improvement LLC, A&F Trucking and Excavating, M&M Junction, The Joint; and their Supporting Sponsors: Murphy’s Concessions, The Bear Brick and cyberspokes.com. And of course, a huge thank you to all the volunteers, participants and members of the community who are planning to come out and support such a great cause on June 17th.
For more information, you can reach out to E.A.R.S on their website at empirerescue.org or visit them on Facebook. Postal mail, including donations, can be sent addressed to E.A.R.S., PO Box 445, Salamanca, NY 14779.
