Morgan Matzen, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Hot Harley Nights will transition to a new event format in 2022 after raising more than $3.5 million for Make-A-Wish in South Dakota and Montana over the last 25 years.
Hot Harley Nights will become Soo Foo Moto Show and will be held July 15-17 at J&L’s location at 2601 W. 60th Street N.
Soo Foo Moto Show will be a weekend event with a poker run, concert on Friday night, bike and car show on Saturday, and a bike show on Sunday, Joe Entenman said in a release. A news release sent Wednesday afternoon doesn’t list the motorcycle parade as an event this year.
“This is something we can do while still managing our business and not getting as involved with planning vendors and other event partners,” he said. “We think doing this at a smaller scale ultimately could be a more effective fundraising mechanism.”
The Entenman family decided to evaluate the most effective way to continue supporting the charity while adjusting the scope of the event on its 25th anniversary.
“This became a way to touch a lot of people, especially kids and families,” J&L Harley Davidson co-founder Jim Entenman said in a statement. “We’re really excited about what we were able to do and thought after 25 years it was probably the right time to move on and look at doing something different.”
At its peak, Hot Harley Nights would draw 30,000 people for a parade of children from the Make-A-Wish program and more than 5,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and their riders.
Make-A-Wish South Dakota & Montana became the natural fit for the Entenman family following a family tragedy. Jim’s younger brother Brian died at age 18 from Hepatitis B and the family became involved with Make-A-Wish in his memory.
“For us, Hot Harley Nights has had an unbelievable impact,” said Sue Salter, who became president and CEO in 2018. “It’s difficult to find the words to express our gratitude to the Entenman family, the staff at J&L Harley-Davidson and all the volunteers, supporters and participants who have made this iconic summer event such a success. And it’s bigger than the sheer magnitude of the event itself. It’s been an ongoing commitment to our community and to our wish kids and families.”
