Peggy Blais of Danvers: Nelson's Ride Parade Queen

(Salisbury, MA) Peggie Blais of Danvers will honor the 9th Annual "Nelson's Ride" as its Parade Queen/ Marshall.

Peggie, in 1949, was expecting her third child when her husband traded in their car for a motorcycle. "I thought it was neat. I asked him if girls ride, and he got me a bike too." Peggie, now 80 years young, has been riding ever since.

She was recently recognized at Laconia Bike Week by the Rally Association. She and her family are featured in the recently released "History of Motorcycle Week" book published by Charlie St. Clair and Jennifer Anderson.

The Blais family, with six children, made the annual trek to Motorcycle Week in the 1950's and early 1960's, on two motorcycles with sidecars, and winning about 13 Gypsy Tour trophies for 'best look-alike' (kids), youngest child to ride, woman who rode the most miles, and 'best family' awards.

Then came three more children. "What do you do, the sidecars weren't big enough," she said.



Over the past eight years, she has either rode Nelson's Ride, attended it or stood by her Danvers home waving to the riders. "We had signs reading, 'honk if you love motorcycles and heard about 4,000 horns blasting !"

"Its a wonderful cause, riders helping families of riders killed or seriously injured in accidents."

For years, her husband Bob ran the old Witch City Cycles in Salem. He even build a bike in their basement only to find out there was no way to get it out of the basement, dismantled it and rebuilt it in their living room. "We eat, drink and sleep motorcycles," she said, and has passed that onto her children and grandchildren.

When she wasn't riding with her husband, she rode with the "Motor Maids" riding club, one of the first women riding groups.

With nine children, (6 sons and 3 daughters), they all ride motorcycles. Extending that, there are daughters-in-law, a grandson, and even a great grandson with a tiny electric motorcycle.

Peggie, who still rides her 3-wheel Trike, will be a passenger on "the Demon," a Trike built by Larry Cahill of Medford, and co-sponsor of Nelson's Ride with his motorcycle web site www.BostonBiker.com.

"We acknowledge and appreciate all Peggie and her family have done over 6 decades," said Nelson's Ride promoter Paul W. Cote, President of the Survivor's Fund Board of Directors, "to enhance the positive aspects of motorcycling."