Annual Hogs & Honeys benefit roaring back

By GARY PULEO
Times Herald Staff

EAST NORRITON — They wear their hearts on their hogs in a big way.

But you don’t have to be a biker or a biker babe to revel in the food, drink and music at Kickstart Motorcycle’s 6th Annual Hogs & Honeys Valentine Benefit for Mission Kids, Montgomery County’s Child Abuse Advocacy Center.

Sure, the first social hosted by Sue and Sam Gardy — proprietors of Kickstart Motorcycles in East Norriton — back in 2005 was largely attended by black-leather-jacketed aficionados of the open road, recalled Sue Gardy.

“We called it Hogs & Honeys because we were a motorcycle shop. The first event drew 40 people and we had a lot of motorcycle people that did attend. But the bigger we got, it outgrew just the motorcycle clan itself and brought in a lot of other people. Now we get all kinds of people ...  everyday people.”

The everyday people have helped the couple raise more than $18,000 for Mission Kids in 2008 and 2009.

Due to ticket demand, the gala will move this year to Teamsters Local 384 Hall in East Norriton.

“Every year the amount of people who come keeps growing. We sold out last year at Jeffersonville Golf Club, which holds 230 people, so this year we moved to the Teamsters Hall, which holds 275. Every time we get an article in The Times Herald, the tickets go like that.”

Tickets for the Feb. 13 soiree cost $35 per person and include food, wine and beer, music and door prizes. The festivities will also feature a drawing for a dirt bike — which is on display at Keystone Grill and Family Bistro, Ridge Pike, Eagleville — and numerous door prizes and raffle items, including an autographed NASCAR helmet, a wing party at Hooters restaurant, Dutch Wonderland admission, and tickets to a George Thorogood concert at the Keswick Theater in Glenside.

“Sam goes to Keystone Grill for breakfast a lot, and he got to know the owner and they asked if they could get involved,” Gardy said.

The exchange was typical for the couple, who rarely encounter apathy when mentioning the cause to business owners.

“I think we hit every pizza and sandwich shop we could find in Montgomery County, asking for donations,” said Gardy, laughing.

   Mission Kids is a non-profit child advocacy center, where professionals who respond to allegations of child abuse in Montgomery County work together, interviewing alleged victims and developing investigation and intervention tactics.

   Sam and Sue first learned about the organization at the East Norriton Holiday Parade a few years ago.

  “They had a stand set up and were trying to raise money to open the center,” Gardy recalled. “We noticed that they were centered in Montgomery County and needed help.”    

  Children’s Aid Society, the former beneficiary of Hogs & Honeys, is a larger non-profit that covers several counties, Gardy noted.

  “Mission Kids is all about the county, and we liked the idea of helping the abused children and what Mission Kids offered for the community. We just fell in love with the charity.”

   Last year’s blowout raised $10,550 for Mission Kids.

   Gardy sees the 2010 total eclipsing that amount.

   “I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” she said.