The 4th annual Motorcycle Memorial Scholarship Fund Ride in memory of Lowndes County Sheriff “Big John” Williams was held in Hayneville Saturday.
About 200 bikers from the River Region and across the state came out to ride and honor the legacy of the sheriff. Williams was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2019 while trying to disperse a crowd in the parking lot of the QV convenience store in Hayneville as he asked someone to turn down their radio.
Bikers and vendors were there to raise money for The Big John Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was started to honor him by providing scholarships through a motorcycle ride that consisted of a 130-mile course around Lowndes County that included one rest period in Fort Deposit.
Organizers say the bike ride has grown every year, and it’s going to continue to grow because it’s a way to remember the legacy of Sheriff Williams.
“It’s very important for unity in the county to support high school students that are leaving high school, graduating, going to college, to have an opportunity to receive a $2,000 scholarship from each school — that’s Calhoun Central and Lowndes Academy,” event founder Daniel Rudolph said.
“I think it’s very important to continue this tradition to commemorate not only his leadership, but also to memorialize him as a man,” Lowndes County Ramblin Thunder biker Byron Bonds said.
“I want them to leave here with a sense that this was a great event for a great cause, and for them to understand that Sheriff Big John was loved by many, and he loved many, and I just want to tell them thank you for coming out, and I want them to come back again next year and hope this event continues throughout the years and continues to grow and get bigger as we continue the process,” Shanice Williams, the daughter of Sheriff Williams, said.
