FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Nearly three dozen Northwest Arkansas charities are expected to benefit from the Bikes, Blues and BBQ rally in Fayetteville.
In 2015, the event, dubbed as the "largest charity motorcycle rally," donated more than $170,000 to various area charity organizations.
Since the event began in 2000, rally organizers said more than $1.3 million has been donated to groups, including the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas.
The nonprofit gives scholarships to single parents who want to go back to school and further their education.
About 130 low-income families in Washington, Madison and Carroll counties receive assistance from the fund every year, said Joy Morris, development director of SPSFNWA.
"The scholarship has a huge impact on the families that we serve," Morris said. "With their degree, they're able to set a great example for their children to follow, and they're more likely to go on and earn their degree as well."
The fund received a $2,500 donation from Bikes, Blues and BBQ, along with five percent of sales and all tips generated by SPSFNWA staff who worked the beer garden.
"The Northwest Arkansas Scholarship fund has been involved for the past nine years with the rally," Morris said. "This will be our 10th year to be involved."
The Fayetteville Boys and Girls Club has also been on the receiving end of donations for more than 10 years, said Becky Brink, director of development for the club.
"Our staff go down and volunteer every year, because we just think it's so important to support it," Brink said. "It's something that provides so much income for the nonprofits in the area."
The boys and girls club hosts more than 200 children every day for after school activities. Brink said low income families are often the biggest benefactors of the funds.
"Their funding allows us to have kids that are from low-income homes participate in our after school and our summer programs," Brink said.
Tommy Sizemore, executive director of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, said he hoped the four-day-long event would raise $200,000 in 2016, which gets underway on Wednesday (Sept. 20).