BHSU Jacket Ride set for Tuesday of Rally Week

The Jacket Ride is a patriotic motorcycle ride with a purpose. Black Hills State University will host the Dennis Kirk Jacket Ride for veteran scholarships Tuesday, Aug. 6, during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

“This charity ride goes through Spearfish Canyon and Vanocker Canyon. It is led by our American Legion brothers and sisters and has law enforcement support at all major intersections,” said Kanda Guthmiller, scholarship coordinator at BHSU. “It is an excellent way to see these famous routes.”

The Ride begins at the Joy Center (1351 St Joe Street) on the BHSU Campus in Spearfish with kickstands up at 10 a.m. and ends with lunch by Rent a Chef Catering at Scott Peterson Motors in Sturgis.

Registration is $50 for a single rider and $75 for rider and passenger. Pre-registration is appreciated at www.BHSU.edu/JacketRide and is also accepted beginning at 8:30 a.m. the day of the Ride.

The Jacket Ride event was created seven years ago to raise money for BHSU student veterans. The ride is completely sponsored by donors at Dennis Kirk, Black Hills Pioneer, and Scott Peterson Motors which means that 100 percent of the registration fees for the ride go directly to scholarships.

This year’s Jacket Ride Scholarships will be awarded to five BHSU student veterans. Amanda English, elementary education major from Piedmont; Abraham Fish, history education major from Belle Fourche; Adam Gilbert, science education major from Rapid City; Jeffrey Merrill, environmental physical science major from Rapid City; and Leslie Nuckles, general studies major from Custer; are all set to receive the scholarships this year.

“We hope locals and visitors alike will join us to celebrate the accomplishments of our student veterans and support them as they achieve their goals,” said Guthmiller.

Veterans Affairs at BHSU
BHSU has repeatedly been recognized nationally for service to military students. The University was named a Military Friendly School for 9 years straight, Best for Vets: Business Schools, and Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges. BHSU is a leader in piloting reduced tuition rates for active duty military members for both online and in-resident courses. The success of both those pilot programs have since been extended across the state to other S.D. Board of Regents schools. Both the BHSU and BHSU-Rapid City locations have a Veterans Center space for independent study and to provide a welcoming atmosphere where veterans can feel free to share military experiences. Fall classes begin Aug. 26 and there is still time register. Visit BHSU.edu/Veterans for more information.