A RECORD number of motorcycles attended yesterday morning's Wolverines Poker Run, the band's drummer, John Clinton, said.
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The annual run, held for the past 20 years during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, was a great way to give back to the community and to children's causes in particular without any administration fees taking away from the total, he said.
"It was more (bikes) than last year we had 360," Mr Clinton said.
"That's a record 20 years of doing it, and kids' causes around Tamworth are getting the benefit.
"The joy about this particular ride is all the money goes to the kids."
He said the band always tried to forego gigs on the first weekend of the festival so they could concentrate on undertaking the poker run.
It was great to give back and to keep alive such a popular and worthwhile aspect of the festival, he said.
"We'll keep doing it for as long as we can, I tell you," he said.
"Tamworth has been really kind to us we started off (receiving kudos) here in Tamworth."
Mr Clinton said it was a great way for the Wolverines and the North West chapter of the Harley Owners' Group to kick off their festival experience each year.
About $30,000 each year is raised for organisations such as the Salvation Army.
The ride itself this year was "fantastic", he said.
One Tamworth rider on a Honda CBR1100 tangled with a kangaroo that had jumped out on the leg from Werris Creek to Gunnedah but, amazingly, he didn't fall off.
The 250-kilometre ride started from Tamworth motorcycle shop Bikes'n'Bits, then headed to Werris Creek, Gunnedah, Lake Keepit and Manilla, finishing at the Longyard Hotel in Tamworth.
Bikes'n'Bits owner Matt Varley was rapt with the ride.
"It's been cool as anything it was just beautiful," he said of the cooler weather.
He was full of praise for the Wolverines.
"You couldn't get a better ambassador," he said.
