KNOX COUNTY — Before you see them, you can the nearly 200 motorcycles roaring down Clinton Highway.
But today is about much more than a joyride.
They're doing it for the kids.
"This ride helps fund "One Unforgettable Night" which is a dance that we hold for the chronically ill teens at East Tennessee Children's Hospital whose illness prevents them from going to their own school functions," Knox Co. Mayor Elect Glenn Jacobs said.
He helped organize the event for its second year, which included live music and food.
"Many of the illnesses that these teens deal with are lifestyle defining, I mean they just can't do a lot of things that they would like to," he said.
The ride Sunday is their largest fundraiser and Jacob's high profile helps bring in more bikers and more bucks.
"We were hoping about 75 [bikers] would be good but I'm looking around and there's a lot more," Tom Bruno, who helped organize the event, said.
For some riders participation is personal.
Charlene Sitton's children have been in and out of Children's Hospital. That's why she's participating.
For others, like Bruno, it's a chance to do something in their community.
"It's a good feeling that you're helping children that need some help," he said.
One Unforgettable Night, the Children's Hospital dance for which the bike ride raised money, is scheduled for early September. That dance will happen on the Star of Knoxville Riverboat.