NMSU’s Ride for the 4-H Clover motorcycle tour returns for sixth year

NMSU’s Ride for the 4-H Clover motorcycle tour returns for sixth year
DATE: 07/16/2018
WRITER: Carlos Andres Lopez, 575-646-1955, carlopez@nmsu.edu
CONTACT: Jon Boren, 575-646-3015, jboren@nmsu.edu
Ride for the 4-H Clover, an annual, weekend motorcycle excursion hosted by New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences’ Cooperative Extension Service to benefit 4-H youth programs, will return Aug. 24-26 for the sixth year.

Motorcycle riders and non-riders are invited to participate in this year’s ride, which will venture through eight towns and five counties – more than 400 miles altogether – in northeastern New Mexico.

The route covers an area of the state that features both forests and portions of the Great Plains region, and is known as a destination of lakes, rivers, state parks and national monuments, and storied stops along Historic Route 66.

At each planned stop, participants will learn about programs in NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service – the university’s non-formal, educational outreach component that has a presence in all 33 counties in New Mexico – and meet 4-H youth members who will discuss their current projects.

The vision of former NMSU Regent Mike Cheney, Ride for the 4-H Clover started in 2013 as a campaign to build awareness for NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service and help support its 4-H programs, said Associate Dean Jon Boren, the director of NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service.

“Our mission is to improve the lives of New Mexicans through research-based information,” Boren said. “One of our flagship programs for the Cooperative Extension Service is the 4-H program.”

More than 40,000 New Mexico youth – one out of nine children in the state – are involved in 4-H programs offered by NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service and gain knowledge and skills in the areas of agriculture, science, citizenship and healthy living, Boren said.

“The focus of this ride is to really enhance awareness of the Cooperative Extension Service and, more importantly, the 4-H programs,” he said, adding, “Any funds that are generated go directly back into the 4-H programs.”

Each year, the ride route covers a different region in New Mexico, showcasing Extension offices and 4-H programs in that area. This year, the route starts in Las Vegas and ends in Mora. Along the way, participants will make stops in Tucumcari, Clayton, Raton and Angel Fire.

A day before the ride begins, an evening reception for participants will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Best Western Plus Montezuma Inn & Suites, 2020 N. Grand Ave., in Las Vegas.

The following day, Aug. 25, an opening ceremony will take place at 7 a.m., also at the Best Western Plus Montezuma Inn & Suites, before participants depart for Tucumcari at 8 a.m. In Tucumcari, the group will visit the Quay County Fairgrounds, 2000 Camino Del Coronado Road, for about an hour before heading north to Clayton at 11:30 a.m. The group plans to refuel in Logan.

It is anticipated that the group will arrive in Clayton around 1:30 p.m. to visit the NMSU ACES Clayton Livestock Research Center, 15 NMSU Lane, where lunch will be provided.

At 2:30 p.m., the group will depart for Raton, the last stop of the day, and refuel in Des Moines. The group will stay overnight in Raton at the Best Western Plus, 473 Clayton Road. That evening, the group will reconvene from 6:30-8 p.m. for dinner at the Raton Convention Center, 901 S. Third St.

The next morning, Aug. 26, the group will depart for Angel Fire at 8:30 a.m. At 10 a.m., the group will stop at Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park, 43 Country Club Road, for a 45-minute break, and then depart for Mora at 10:45 a.m. In Mora, the ride will wrap up with lunch and an official conclusion at the NMSU ACES John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center, 547 N.M. 518.

Registration for the ride is now underway. The $75 fee includes the reception in Las Vegas, lunches in Clayton and Mora, and dinner in Raton, as well as a commemorative pin and shirt. Lodging is not included, but group hotel discounts are available.

All proceeds benefit the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences’ Cooperative Extension Service 4-H youth programs.

For additional information or to register for the ride, visit http://ridefortheclover.nmsu.edu/2018d-overview.html or call Monica Lury at 505-983-4615.