Senator Hassan Honors 100th Anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week with a Congressional Record Statement
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan honored the 100th anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week, a New Hampshire and American institution, with an official statement in the Congressional Record. In the statement, Senator Hassan pays tribute to the beloved tradition of this event and highlights the critical issues that riders have supported and raised awareness for in past years.
“For one hundred years in Laconia, Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life have come together – united by their shared enthusiasm and their deep love for our beautiful country – and worked to make our community and our country a better place. One does not have to be a biker to appreciate that this spirit of enthusiasm, service, and love of country embodies New Hampshire – and America – at our best. On behalf of Congress and all Granite Staters, I offer my congratulations to the event organizers for 100 years of Laconia Motorcycle Week. I have no doubt that Granite Staters and Americans across the country can look forward to it for generations to come,” states Senator Hassan.
Full text of the resolution can be found here and below:
A Tribute Honoring the 100th Anniversary of Laconia Motorcycle Week
M. President, today it is my pleasure to recognize the 100th anniversary of Laconia, New Hampshire’s Motorcycle Week. Over the last century, riders from New Hampshire and across the country have gathered in Laconia – the heart of New Hampshire’s beautiful Lakes Region – to gather with friends, celebrate their shared passion for motorcycles, and ride together.
Many consider Laconia’s Bike Week to be the oldest national motorcycle rally in the country. For decades, it was the largest motorcycle rally in the United States, and it still draws more than 300,000 people a year, which helps support the economy of the Lakes Region and the rest of New Hampshire as Bike Week participants patronize our small businesses.
Laconia Bike Week is a well-known and beloved tradition for countless Granite Staters and bikers near and far. For many, just the name Bike Week evokes fond memories of Laconia rallies from past years, from cruising New Hampshire’s highways and scenic byways to spending time with friends, old and new.
Bike Week, of course, does not happen without effort; it takes time and dedication from the event organizers, who each summer come together to make this week possible. Nor is it by chance that this event takes place in New Hampshire; Bike Week is a part of the very fabric of the Granite State. Bike Week shows off our state’s natural beauty; a ride through Laconia, with an open road ahead and a breeze from Lake Winnipesaukee blowing by, reminds us of why Granite Staters are always proud to call New Hampshire home. For bikers and non-bikers alike, the roar and thunder of engines, the thrill of zooming down a highway, the dazzling tricks and stunts performed at rallies – summon up our state’s spirit.
One of the many pieces that makes Bike Week special is that riders have also regularly used the event as a means to raise awareness and support for critical issues facing New Hampshire and our country. In 1957, riders raised money to help fund polio research and support families who were grappling with that disease. This year also marks the 35th Anniversary of the Meredith POW/MIA Awareness Vigil, and the 30th anniversary of the Freedom Ride to honor American POW/MIA service members, spearheaded by the Northeast POW/MIA Network. Over the past few years, more than 2,000 motorcyclists have joined the Freedom Ride to commemorate the sacrifice of POW/MIA service members, and raise awareness for the missing service members who have not been found. The Freedom Ride reminds service members, their families, and all Americans that POW/MIA service members – both those who have returned and those who remain missing – will never be forgotten.
These acts of recognition and service have helped make Bike Week into a New Hampshire and American institution. For one hundred years in Laconia, Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life have come together – united by their shared enthusiasm and their deep love for our beautiful country – and worked to make our community and our country a better place. One does not have to be a biker to appreciate that this spirit of enthusiasm, service, and love of country embodies New Hampshire – and America – at our best.
On behalf of Congress and all Granite Staters, I offer my congratulations to the event organizers for 100 years of Laconia Motorcycle Week. I have no doubt that Granite Staters and Americans across the country can look forward to it for generations to come.
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