On Wednesday, April 16, Manual alumnus Alan Cloyd (Class of 1964) will be at school to hand out forms to pledge money to his fundraiser for the upcoming Manual Museum, which will be located in the lobby area at the back of the auditorium. Cloyd will ride his motorcycle 1000 miles, without stopping, to Montgomery, Ala. The fundraiser will be recognized by the Iron Butt Association, which catalogs long-distance motorcycle rides.
The goal for the fundraiser is $20,000, all towards the vision of a museum that will document Manual’s 122-year history.
This is the third time Cloyd is completing a “thousand-mile marathon,” but this one is the most personal.
“I still, to this moment, love coming back to Manual and doing things with and for Manual High School,” Cloyd said. “If you’re a Manual graduate, you’ll always bleed red and white. It comes out that way. There is a spirit about this that’s endemic within this old gothic building. It’s different here.”
“The wear and tear, the danger, the weather, the fatigue, the gasoline, the rubber, the everything— it’s just my gift to the school,” Cloyd said. “I don’t get a penny.”
On Wednesday morning, Cloyd will be in center hall with his motorcycle. During lunch he will move to the cafeterias. The ride will take place on May 5.
