Navigating the downtown square in Jacksonville will be a little rough around the noon hour on Sunday as one of Central Illinois’ largest rides for charity will stop for lunch.
The 2024 Peacekeepers Incorporated Golden Anniversary Ride will be rolling through the Jacksonville area on Sunday. Peacekeepers was started in 2004 as a Springfield Non-Profit group aimed at assisting the men and women of law enforcement and military in the State of Illinois.
Peacekeepers later joined forces with the Illinois Sheriff’s Association helping the group to take their efforts statewide.
Doug Thompson with the Jacksonville Police Department says the ride will pile into the downtown square late Sunday morning. “We are going to have the downtown plaza completely blocked off, so there will be no through traffic allowed on the plaza from approximate 11:30 am until about 2:00 pm.
That is all sort of dependent on their ride and how quickly they get here. But we plan on shutting the plaza down with barricades about 11:30 preventing traffic from entering the plaza.”
Thompson says approximately 500 vehicles consisting mostly of motorcycles and Jeeps will be downtown for the lunch stop of the ride. The Springfield Police Department’s motorcycle patrol will lead the group along the ride, with several law enforcement vehicles from a variety of departments also taking part.
Thompson says there could be some traffic delays as the group makes its way into town. “They are coming in on Old State Road, they will turn on Clay and go north to Douglas, take Douglas up to Main, and then Main onto the plaza. As I said, it will be closed off with barricades so they will park on the plaza and any associated parking lots that they will need.
I know it appears that there will be a lot of food trucks coming downtown to provide food for them, as well as a number of restaurants that will be open. It’s a pretty neat ride. I did it ten years ago on a motorcycle. I have another commitment or I would have gone on it this year too.”
The ride kicks off at the 183 Air National Guard at the Springfield Airport and head down Old Jacksonville Road. They will then stop here for lunch before continuing up to Havana, and then on to Sherman for the final stop.
This year the group plans to award $15,000 to the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund, $13,000 in scholarships to dependents of military and law enforcement personnel, and nearly $5,000 in special awards and contributions.
For more information go to the Peacekeepers Inc. Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/springfieldareapeacekeepersinc/posts/pfbid0vueEtZQLCb989oJugbRbishvjmq2gLaTVibst5YAfL3vtzdxHxcaB25MKvbVT4FXl