Annual Windsor bike show fuels support for 5 Windsor-Essex food banks

Motorcycle enthusiasts, local vendors, and community members gathered Sunday at the Windsor Sportsmen’s Club for the third annual On A Mission For The Mission Bike Show, Vendor Market and Food & Hygiene Drive.

Motorcycle enthusiasts, local vendors, and community members gathered Sunday at the Windsor Sportsmen’s Club for the third annual On A Mission For The Mission Bike Show, Vendor Market and Food & Hygiene Drive, raising money and collecting donations to help food banks across Windsor and Essex County. The family-friendly event featured dozens of motorcycles, more than 30 vendors, live entertainment, and a barbecue, while encouraging attendees to donate food, hygiene products, and money for local organizations supporting people experiencing food insecurity. Organizers say the annual fundraiser has continued to grow since it began, prompting a move this year to a larger venue.

“This is probably our best year yet,” said On A Mission For The Mission President Shaun Fathers. “It’s probably doubled from last year when we were at the Moose. Now we’ve moved here to the Windsor Sportsmen’s on Dougall, and they’ve been more than accommodating.”

Fathers said the organization raises money throughout the year through a series of community events, including barbecues, a cornhole tournament, a charity photo booth, and an annual motorcycle ride. Everything raised is donated to local food banks. “Everything we get throughout the year all goes to the food banks in Windsor and Essex County,” Fathers said.

“We started out with just the Windsor Downtown Mission food bank, but as we’ve grown, the money we bring in is a little bit more.” Last year, the organization donated more than $40,000, supporting the Windsor Downtown Mission, the Windsor Youth Centre and food banks in Leamington, Kingsville, and Harrow. The organization’s next major fundraiser is its annual motorcycle ride on Aug. 30, beginning in Tecumseh and ending in Colchester.

A fundraising dinner and entertainment show is also planned for late November.