Riding for a Legend: Bikers Rally Behind Berry Wardlaw's Bonneville Dream
- Aly Bockler-Blanche
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
By Aly Bockler-Blanche, Rider Success Manager
There are motorcycle events, and then there are motorcycle family reunions.
On Sunday, June 28th, my husband Parker and I joined our good friends Brittney and Lucas for a ride from Panama City to Dothan, Alabama, a quick hour-and-a-half ride that turned into a day full of purpose, camaraderie, and a whole lot of heart.
The destination was Blue Moon Café on Foster Street, where the Iron & Chrome Collective Museum on Wheels, which we are a part of, hosted a benefit fundraiser to help send Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame builder Berry Wardlaw, his wife Gypsy and his incredible custom motorcycle, Assalt Weapan, to the Bonneville Salt Flats this August.
If you know anything about Berry Wardlaw, you know this isn't just another motorcycle headed to the salt. Berry has spent decades building some of the most recognizable custom motorcycles in the industry, and seeing the motorcycle community come together to help support his next chapter was something special.
Mother Nature certainly made us earn it. Temperatures pushed close to 100 degrees, reminding everyone that summer riding in the South isn't for the faint of heart. Thankfully, there was plenty of shade, cold drinks, and even cooler company to keep spirits high.
Live music by Joe Harley kept the energy going all afternoon, a fitting name for a biker event if there ever was one! Law Tigers Florida Panhandle was set up with not only free swag, but a cold fan that we all took turns standing in front of. Everywhere you looked, old friends were reconnecting while newcomers were welcomed like lifelong riding buddies.
One of the highlights of the day was seeing 94-year-old Dutch Holland, owner of Dothan Harley-Davidson, come out to support the cause. It's not every day you get to witness generations of motorcycle history gathered in one place. Between Dutch, Berry, and so many other respected names in the motorcycle world, the event truly showcased what makes this community unlike any other.
The fundraiser featured a delicious Low Country boil, raffles, and silent auction items, with proceeds helping fuel Berry's journey to the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats. Every ticket purchased, every raffle entered, and every handshake shared helped move that dream a little closer to reality.
At Roden Motorcycle Lawyers, we often say that riding is about more than motorcycles, it's about people!
Sunday's event was a perfect reminder of that. When one member of our community needs support, riders show up.
If you missed this event, you'll have another opportunity to experience the Iron & Chrome Collective Museum on Wheels this fall. Berry Wardlaw, along with an impressive lineup of invited custom motorcycle builders, will be under the Iron & Chrome Collective Museum on Wheels tent during the Fall Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally, October 21–25, at Frank Brown Park in Panama City Beach, Florida.
If you're attending Thunder Beach, make sure you stop by, meet the builders, hear their stories, and see some truly incredible machines. Events like these remind us why the motorcycle community remains one of the strongest families you'll ever be a part of.
We'll see you on the road.
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