By Dongyun Kwon
A Healesville resident is about to hold a motorcycle show to make Healesville a destination for bike lovers.
The event Machine on the Green will be held at the corner of Green Street and River Street, Healesville from 9am on Sunday 12 May
Event organiser Clifford Overton said he has wanted to put on a motorcycle show in Healesville for a few years.
“So many bikes come through town on a weekend, some stop for a coffee but there is not much else here for them,” he said.
“It seems like a natural place to put on a show and put some people on the footpaths in the main street rather than just ride through on their way to Marysville or wherever else they ride to.
“It’s about making Healesville a destination for riders, not just a stop on the way.”
Since he shared his idea with his friends and on Facebook, he has found many locals who are interested in his idea.
“I had not ever applied to run an event through council and it was pretty easy, so I got the date sorted and all the right permissions to run it fairly quickly,” Mr Overton said.
Any motorcycle can enter the show on the day and every motorcycle will be entered for the Most Popular Machine award.
“There’s no fixed entry price, so a gold coin donation will get you on the green. We have a few old bikes coming to the show, maybe some race bikes too, so it should be interesting,” the event organiser said.
“The Most Popular Machine will be decided by the public who can come and look at the bikes for a gold coin donation and buy a vote for $2, which has a smiley face on a stick, and they can stick their vote in the grass in front of their favourite bike.
“Just before noon we will count up the votes and the winning bike will get a $50 cash prize.”
The money raised at the event will be donated to prostate cancer research and men’s mental health programs with the money raised by another fundraiser The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride which Mr Overton will participate in on 9 May.
“If we do Machine on the Green again, and we hope to, then next time a different charity will be chosen to receive any money we raise,” Mr Overton said.
