Pastor Brandon Lenhart, of the North Main Street Church of God, blesses the bike of John Penrod along with Penrod's widow, Cheri Penrod, right, and his friends and family. Penrod died in a motorcycle accident in November near Parker. Dozens of motorcycle riders gathered for the annual Blessing of the Bikes at the Crossbow Lounge in Lyndora on Wednesday.

Local bikers are already preparing for the 14th annual Saeler-Solkovy memorial ride in August, and on Wednesday evening many received a faith-based protection.

More than 100 bikers went to the Crossbow Lounge at Sherwood Lanes in Lyndora to get their bikes blessed by North Main Street Church of God Pastor Brandon Lenhart on Wednesday, which is a tradition for biker groups in other areas, but was a first for the participants of the memorial ride.

“Riding season is on its way, so I said why not have blessings here,” said Shari Saeler-Vinroe, one of the organizers of the memorial ride. “Anybody could come that wanted to have their bike blessed.”

Steve Saeler died in 2007, and his family and John Solkovy helped plan a memorial ride that year. Solkovy died the next year, so Saeler-Vinroe and her brother, Danny Saeler, have been putting on the annual ride to honor them both ever since.At the blessing event Wednesday, Lenhart also prayed over a rebuilt bike that John Penrod, another member of the memorial ride group, was riding during a fatal crash last year. Saeler-Vinroe said he was a longtime rider with the group as well.According to Saeler-Vinroe, she and her family choose a different agency to raise funds for each year, and collect donations through the Saeler-Solkovy memorial ride throughout the year. This year, proceeds are being raised for the Butler County Alliance for Children.

“This is amazing for them to do this,” said Denna Hays, executive director of Butler's Alliance for Children. “We serve 300 new kids every year and we only have four full-time staff members.”The actual ride is Aug. 21, and takes riders on a 119-mile loop from the beer garden in Petrolia and back. Saeler-Vinroe said the ride normally gets attendance not only from friends of her late brother and the late John Solkovy, but also from local bikers who enjoy raising money and riding for a cause.“All bikers have big hearts,” Saeler-Vinroe said. “All the bikes lining up is a sight that I think all people should see. It just touches my heart whenever I see it, whenever I hear it.”Saeler-Vinroe said organizing the annual ride is difficult but rewarding, and she and her family members look forward to it every year.“Whenever we're planning it, we're like, 'Why are we doing this? It's so much work,'” Saeler-Vinroe said. “That day when we do it and then when we turn the money in, that is why we do it.”To donate to the cause, send mail to the Saeler-Solkovy Memorial Ride at 544 Meridian Road, Renfrew, PA 16053.

Blessing of the Bikes organizers Dan Saeler, Jerry Vinroe, Shari Saeler-Vinroe and Denna Hays gather Wednesday, April 7, 2021.

The rebuilt bike of John Penrod, who died in a motorcycle accident near Parker last November, was part of the Blessing of the Bikes on Wednesday. His son, John Penrod Jr., and family friends rebuilt the bike in his honor.

Bikers gather for Wednesday's Blessing of the Bikes. Dozens of motorcycle riders took part in the celebration at the Crossbow Lounge at Sherwood Lanes in Lyndora Wednesday, April 7, 2021.

Pastor Brandon Lenhart of the North Main Street Church of God prays with widow Cheri Penrod at Blessing of the Bikes on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Cheri's husband John Penrod died in a motorcycle accident in November near Parker.