Bikers roll out for friend
Sarah Day — Sentinel Staff WriterArticle Photos
FAIRMONT - You didn't need a ticket to ride with the hundred-plus people honoring a local legend on Saturday.
Motorcycles started rumbling into Droegemeuller Trucking before 10:30 a.m. - some solo, some in larger groups for the first "Tickets to Ride" memorial ride for Mike Draper. By 11 a.m., more than 100 motorcycles and about 20 classic cars crammed into the lot.
Draper, 55, was many things to the Fairmont community. Respected businessman; loving husband and father; motorcycle and classic car enthusiast; pool shooter - just to name a few.
"Everybody was his friend," said event co-chairman Mike Droegemeuller. "He loved his motorcycle; he loved his hotrod car."
Draper died after being struck by another driver, who had been drinking, on Aug. 24 last year. Chad Penn of St. James was the other driver. He was charged a day later with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Penn pleaded guilty to one count in June and is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 28.
Event co-chairman Bryan Sweet said they came up with the idea when they lost their friend.
"We thought it would be a great way of remembering him," he said.
A crowd of motorcycles lined the street for Draper's funeral. Sweet said the funeral home had to lock the doors at 11 p.m. because people kept coming for Draper's visitation.
"It was the largest funeral in Fairmont history," Sweet said.
The day of the funeral, Droegemeuller came up with the motorcycle ride idea.
"I told (Sweet), 'We're doing this,'" he said.
Sweet said Draper's pool team has already made a donation to the Mike Draper Foundation, which goes to the Fairmont Area Foundation.
Steve "Kegger" Draper, Draper's brother, was overwhelmed with Saturday's response. More than 40 businesses donated to the cause, along with many individuals.
"It's totally awesome," Steve Draper said. "It's great to see all the friends and family who came out for a great guy. I appreciate the support of all the sponsors and the generosity of his friends."
He had a special thanks to Hawkeye Foods for its support. The Draper brothers managed Draper Foods before selling it to Hawkeye, which is matching funds raised and let the group use a trailer.
Julie "Millie" Thedens, Draper's sister, loved the idea of the ride.
"It's just going to be a great day," she said. "He absolutely loved riding. He was just great. Great to his grandkids, a wonderful husband and brother."
The name of the event comes from another love of Draper's - The Beatles.
"If things were going well it was always, 'Tickets to Ride,'" Sweet said.
Thedens said Draper always said that phrase. When he died, she got a tattoo with those words.
Draper's family led the motorcycle procession Saturday - clad in blue shirts describing traits of their loved one.
Following the motorcycles were classic cars, regular cars, a motor home and a tour bus for a total of well over 100 people.
The group made a loop around Fairmont - going from Droegemueller's (across from the fairgrounds) down Blue Earth Avenue to Highway 15, up to County Road 32 and back toward the fairgrounds. They then traveled north through La Salle and Hanska, stopping at Searles Bar and Grill, coming back around through Welcome. They planned stops at the Channel Inn and the Sisseton Saloon - ending back at Droegemeuller's for a pork patty feed.
The group plans to make Tickets to Ride an annual homage.
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tmswelcome
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07-28-09 12:15 PM
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It was really an emotional moment watching all of the motorcycles go by in someone's memory. About as emotional as when you see the Patriot Guards at a funeral for a fallen soldier. Neat idea and I hope it becomes an annual event. Minus all the negative arguements and comments.
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tmswelcome
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07-28-09 12:13 PM
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This has gotten way too out of hand. I know both victims in this ordeal and I know that both victims and their families have suffered enough little lone dealing with people fighting over an article. I do admit the mentioning of the other parties name in an article that was to describe a memorial event was taking it a little too far. But when you come from small rural areas you never know what will be in the paper. From what I knew of Mike I know he would not be happy with everyone pointing fingers and arguing over it. That is what the court system is for, let them decide. I know my passing will not be as publicized, but so help me God if everyone starts arguing over it you better run b/c I will strike back.
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Family
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07-27-09 11:35 PM
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Wow, I don't know who you people are but I can't believe that you are going so far as to try and "guess" what the B.A. reading was of the two parties involved in the August 24th accident! There were other factors causing the accident that you do not know about. I 100% agree that that portion was unnecessary for the type of article but please leave it at that. Friends and family are still suffering and this just solitifies how horrible of an accident this was and what an impact it has made on the commiunity. Thank you to all who attended the Memorial Event. It was a great day!
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oc7100
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07-27-09 7:46 PM
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Instead of throwing blame on either man, let’s remember that people on both sides of this accident have suffered and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
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oc7100
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07-27-09 7:41 PM
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I wish to comment on the article written about the “Ticket to Ride” run commemorating Mike Draper. As I was reading about how all of Mike’s friends and family participated in this event, I thought how great. Mike was a well-loved man who always had time to visit with someone. But, when I got to the paragraph that named the other driver in this horrible accident, the whole article left a bad taste in my mouth. In my opinion, the writer of this article should have checked the facts better and should not have mentioned names. In fact, as the one person who commented previously, what did this piece of information have to do with the memory run for Mike. I knew Mike. We used to chat when the Blazer Bar was still open. He was a great guy and a lot of fun. I also know Chad. He is also a great guy and a lot of fun. Granted mistakes were made that night (from both parties) that resulted in a horrible tragedy. Instead of throwing blame on either man, let’s remember that people on both sides
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cmclark
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07-27-09 5:19 PM
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The entire point is that the dicussion in the article regarding this case is completely irrelevant and inappropriate to this article.
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cmclark
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07-27-09 5:18 PM
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Unfortunately "FactCheck" you may want to check again. The .083 initally taken I'm pretty sure is inadmissable in court. And if you're so sure on your number, perhaps could can further enlighten the readers on Mr. Drapers blood alcohol reading?
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duckie101
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07-27-09 5:13 PM
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I believe the original posters intention was not to point blame but rather to point out the irrelevance of listing specific details about the accident. To me, an article about a memorial ride should be just that, an article about the ride.
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mccitizen
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07-27-09 5:11 PM
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cmclarks comments were in no way meant to take away from the tribute to Mike Draper. The community lost a great man and cmclark in no way meant to take away from the memorial or his loss. The point is that the article is about the tribute and that the details about the charges etc were misplaced unless one would include all the details, which would most definitely have not been appropriate to the article. It was a terrible accident that has affected many people - many details of which had maybe one piece happened differently disaster could have been averted. Unfortunately that was not the case and perhaps cmclark thinks that the memorial article should be more about the positives of Mike Drapers life and friends than placing blame.
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FactCheck
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07-27-09 5:04 PM
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Fact check: Mr. Penn's blood alcohol readout was .083, not .06.
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hatfield88
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07-27-09 4:33 PM
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And i would like to know how that is relavent to this story. This is a story about putting together a memorial for a friend to all in this commuinty. You cannot tell me that if they were both drinking you cannot blame anyone. COME ON MAN. How about running the stop sign. I would also like to point out to you that it was a restored classic car that i do belive never had seat belts. I guess your telling the readers it was Mike's fault for going out that night and driving a classic car??????????
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cmclark
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07-27-09 2:14 PM
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"Draper died after being struck by another driver, who had been drinking, on Aug. 24 last year. Chad Penn of St. James was the other driver. He was charged a day later with two counts of criminal vehicular homicide. Penn pleaded guilty to one count in June and is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 28." The details of the other driver, the accident resulting in his death, and the outcome of the trial have no bearing on a memorial bike ride. Further, including a portion of the facts of this case and excluding others is also inappropriate. Perhaps it may interest your readers to know that the "guilty" party in Mr.Draper's accident had a blood alcohol readout of only .06, .02 under the legal limit. Perhaps your readers may also be interested to know that Mr. Drapers blood alcohol content was well over the legal limit and he was driving a vehicle which did not have seatbelts installed.
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