Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
Sweet Home student musicians will be the beneficiaries of an on-line auction sponsored by a Eugene radio station that offers bidders the chance to ride motorcycles with Oregon Jamboree artist Dierks Bentley.
The contest is being sponsored by KKNU New Country 93.3 radio in Eugene and by Bud Light.
The six highest bidders will get a chance to ride around the Sweet Home-are countryside with Bentley, a motorcycle enthusiast, before his show on Friday, Aug. 3, and will get three-day passes to the Jamboree plus a souvenir and photo with the artist.
Bidding starts at $200 and ends at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 26. Bids must be raised in $25 increments. The six high bidders will be announced Friday, July 27. As of Monday afternoon the high bid was $500.
To bid or learn more, visit http://www.kknu.com.
Proceeds will go to the high school and junior high band programs in the Sweet Home School District, said Josh Kelly, KKNU promotions director.
Participants must have their own motorcycle and be a licensed, endorsed and insured rider, use all safety gear, and may carry a passenger.
Kelly said the idea was hatched up by Jim Davis, the station’s program director, who is a Harley-Davidson enthusiast. He said station listeners include Harley riders and Davis decided it would be a good way to raise some money for a local cause.
“He knows some of the hard-core Harley riders in the group,” Kelly said. “We tried it and so far it is going really well.”
Jamboree Event Director Peter LaPonte said Davis suggested it to him when they were discussing the Jamboree and “basically, we just ran with it.”
Bentley regularly trailers two motorcycles when he’s on the road and regularly goes biking between concerts, Kelly said. Davis coordinated with Dierks’ people and arranged the event.
Davis and his buddies went out and mapped out a route, which is confidential, which the winners and Dierks will travel on Friday morning.
LaPonte said it was easy to decide whom the money should go to.
“He’s a musician so that money is just going to be given to the music program at the school district,” he said.