(note: This story by Becky (Myers) Avila serves as the history behind the beautiful rally quilt recently donated to the BMW MOA. She's the daughter of Dale and Connie Myers. Becky and Connie visited the BMW MOA in September of 2005 and lovingly presented the organization with this marvelous work of art.)

My folks, Dale & Connie Myers, have been riding since long before I was born, which comes to more than 47 years (and then add a few)! They bought their first BMW, a 900 R in 1974 and they went to their first rally. They joined their local chapter, Springfield BMW Road Riders of Springfield, Missouri and have been members ever since. They enjoyed those two wheels on numerous trips to countless rallies from coast to coast, until my mother's health and my dad's sense of balance made it impossible to ride safely much longer on the trips they so enjoyed. So, since my dad was a lifelong auto body man, he took it upon himself to convert his bike to a custom built trike to his own specifications. When he finished this, they hopped right on and proceeded to travel to even more rallies! And their unusual trike always brought stares and admiring glances and comments from loyal Beemers (and Harley riders, to boot)!

They rode it to the national rally in Laguna Seca, California, where they learned they had the first BMW trike. After a nasty mishap in New Mexico, on the way home from the national rally in Arizona, they hauled the broken bike back home, After my dad mended himself, he set to work to rebuild his "new & improved" version of their beloved bike, and they have since traveled to all of the 48 continental states and to Canada, as well.

Around 1995 they were named BMW MOA National Ambassadors, an honor that they are proud to hold in their club. They have been loyal BMW enthusiasts, and will be until they can no longer straddle the good old Beemer. The quilt represents rally patches of numerous rallies & events they have attended over the years, so mom has kept adding patches to it up until very recently. Now she and dad have generously decided to share their journey with their fellow BMW riders, with the donation of the quilt to what may hopefully be a future BMW museum.