What: Thunder Run, a fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
When: Saturday. Motorcycle riders will leave Madison at noon, arrive in Edgerton at about 1 p.m. and leave at 2:30 or 3 p.m.
Where: Downtown Edgerton, near highways 51 and 59.
EDGERTON — When hundreds of motorcycle riders roared into Edgerton two years ago, the community made them feel right at home.
So at home, in fact, that they want to come back again.
The 2009 Thunder Run, sponsored by Capital City Harley-Davidson and the Four Lakes Harley Owners Group, will return to Edgerton on Saturday.
Each year, Harley enthusiasts ride from Madison to a chosen destination and back as part of a weekend raising money for the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
It chose Edgerton as the destination for the first time in 2007.
"Edgerton two years ago just did such a great job of organizing it and making all the riders in the chapter feel welcome that they really wanted to come back," said Vicki Brown, a member of the Edgerton Area Chamber of Commerce and the Harley Owners Group. "It was really exciting to see a town that was just as excited about the cause as we were."
The chamber organizes entertainment and food for the riders and community members. This year, it's planning live music and a flea market in front of the Edgerton Depot, said Kim Schuetz, chamber vice president. Ten restaurants on Fulton and Swift streets will offer food and drink specials outside their businesses, and they will donate 10 percent of their proceeds to diabetes research.
Raffle tickets for a Harley will be on sale for $10 apiece.
The riders will leave Madison at noon and arrive in Edgerton at about 1 p.m., Brown said. They'll stay until 2:30 or 3 before heading back.
They'll arrive by County F from the south, heading north on Highway 51 to Fulton Street, where they will park their bikes. Organizers hope plenty of spectators show up to wave the cycles in.
About 700 bikers made the trip in 2007, but community members swelled the crowd to about 1,100, Schuetz said.
Besides raising money for a good cause, the event offers Edgerton a chance to market itself to a new audience, Schuetz said. Each rider will receive a goodie bag with coupons to Edgerton restaurants.
"When they go for a ride on a Sunday, they can (say), 'Remember that great sandwich we had in Edgerton?'" she said. "We want to give them a reason to come back to Edgerton."