Becker family hosts fourth annual motorcycle run, “In Memory of Daryl”

As a way to remember their father and husband, the Becker family hosted their fourth annual “In Memory of Daryl Motorcycle Poker Run” on Sunday, May 25. The event was planned by Daryl’s children, Sara, Jillian, Luke, and widow, Deb. “It started when 16 of us were sitting around. We realized that we were too bored to sit, so we went on a ride,” explained Luke. “We have felt the need to do this every year [since].” Daryl Becker died four years ago after battling cancer. Jillian Becker explained that after her father’s funeral, the bikers made a funeral processional to the grave site. “Thirty-one bikers came in leather, some of them even wore ‘In Memory of Daryl’ shirts to the event.” The 31 bikers at the funeral processional also participated in this year’s ride. “This year, we had 154 riders on 114 bikes,” Jillian said. “There was everything from Harleys to Crotch-Rockets.” The motorcycle run began at Kimball’s Legion Club in downtown Kimball. From there, bikers participated in the 150 mile run, which stopped in various locations. At the stops, riders drew a card for their poker hand. In the end, the rider with the highest score was proclaimed the winner. Four kings made up the winning hand, and was drawn by an out-of-town rider. Kimball resident, Joan Schmidt took third place with a full house, fives over kings. The event ended back at the Legion, where participants were served a pork chop dinner. After dinner, bikers and riders enjoyed music by All-Star DJ, and could sing karaoke. Jillian explained that this event allowed the family to remember their father and husband. Jillian opened the event by explaining who Daryl was and introduced his family. Throughout the day, various things stuck out for the family. Deb drove her own bike toward the back of the pack, something the couple used to do together. Jillian described herself as a “pro-passenger” and rode in the middle of the pack. She remembered one particular hill. “You could see the whole row of bikers in front of you and behind you. It was really awe-inspiring.” Jillian also enjoyed hearing the rumble of the bikes as they began. Luke drove behind the race in a truck to help block off traffic. “On a couple of big hills, everyone bunched together; it was awesome to see all of the bikes from the front to the back.” He noted that there were 57 rows of bikers. Jillian and Luke also met many people that were friends with their dad. When they were young, they explained how their mom and dad would go out on their bikes and meet different people. “Sometimes, [dad] would even bring them home,” joked the pair. These people approached the family during the run to share stories about Daryl. For those interested, the run also took a special stop by Daryl’s grave to pay respect and honor to the fellow biker. “The event went really well,” Jillian explained. “We raised $600 to donate to the American Cancer Society (through the upcoming Relay for Life) and A.B.A.T.E. (American Bikers for Awareness Training and Education).”