By Lori EhdeThe city of Luverne rumbled for a solid 15 minutes Saturday afternoon when a parade of 750 motorcycles cruised through town on the bike rally to remember Randy Scott.Scott, 55, Hardwick, was killed Aug. 16 when his Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with a Cadillac driven by Congressman Bill Janklow, who sped through a stop sign at a rural intersection in Moody County, S.D.While former South Dakota Governor Janklow, is left with legal and political ramifications of the accident, all Randy Scott’s family and friends have are their memories.Appropriately, his memory was honored Saturday with a motorcycle rally that drew more than 1,000 people from several states in the region.Howling Dog Saloon Manager Jodi (Kunkel) Christy, along with Randy’s mother Marcella Scott, organized the event."It worked out great," Marcella said Tuesday. "Everyone was so respectful, and it all worked out so well."She rode as a motorcycle passenger to the first few stops on the rally with Randy’s friend Terry Johnson, who was with Randy when the crash happened.He said he was pleased by Saturday’s show of support, but it offers little comfort to those who miss Randy."It makes me feel good that so many came out for this, but it makes me miss him even more," Johnson said. "The reason we had the rally is that Randy’s gone. I would rather that Randy would have been with me on some other ride for charity."The weather on Saturday was unseasonably warm and sunny, however, and Johnson described the day as a "joyful" event."It was a good trip," he said. "I appreciate everyone showing up to support us. People came from very far away."Participants convened at the Howling Dog Saloon 1:30 p.m. and motored north on Highway 75 and then east on Main Street out of town past the Luverne City Park.Motorcycles lead the way, but they were trailed by a chartered bus and various vintage automobiles and other vehicles.A major stop along the rally route was the accident scene near Trent, S.D, where participants placed flowers at the base of a utility pole with Randy’s name on it.Using a deputy's squad car microphone and PA system, Marcella said a prayer and then led the crowd in singing "Amazing Grace."Family members gathered at the actual spot where Scott's body came to rest after the accident. A tell-tale clearing still remains in the soybean field near the roadway.A new South Dakota "Think!" sign marks the spot, as similar signs along roadways do for other traffic victims.Motorcycles and automobiles lined the rural roadway for a quarter mile during the ceremony, and local deputies helped the rally on its way afterward.Stops along the way included the Kenneth Bar in Kenneth, Green Lantern in Hardwick, Tree House in Trosky, the Silver Bullet in Sherman, S.D., the Corner Bar in Valley Springs, S.D. and then back to the Howling Dog in Luverne for food and entertainment.The Howling Dog was an ideal sponsor for the event, since it used to be Scotty’s Bar and Grill. For 11 years, Randy’s parents, Marcella and the late Earl Scott owned the bar.Manager Jody Christy and other organizers were caught off guard by the numbers of people who showed up. They printed 150 "remember" T-shirts, but those were gone early and dozens more have been ordered."It looked like Sturgis," Christy said. "Especially in Kenneth. There were motorcycles on both sides of the street and down the middle."Even those who weren’t riding in the rally showed their support. "Farmers and their families out in the country were sitting out there on their lawn chairs like it was a parade," Christy said. "It was incredible. It was really neat."T-shirt sales, a silent auction and donations at the rally yielded $3,300 for a Dollars For Scholars memorial in Randy’s name.The Buckin’ Gator bar in Rapid City, S.D., organized a simultaneous bike rally for Randy Saturday drawing 200 people and additional donations.With national political attention focused on Janklow, who pleaded not-guilty to second-degree manslaughter charges, Christy said it’s important that Randy isn’t forgotten."We really succeeded that day with it being his day," she said. "It was all about him."
