The life of Silven 'Silvie' Yocum of Macomb will be remembered and celebrated at the annual Silvie's Ride Against Child Abuse, which is set for Saturday, June 20 at the Macomb Elks Lodge, 401 S. Deere Rd. The fiveyear- old died in September 2006 as a result of domestic violence.
Silvie's Ride Against Child Abuse was established in 2015 by her grandfather, Jon Yocum, with proceeds going to area social service agencies. Proceeds from the 2026 event will be split between three organizations, Western Illinois Regional Council-Victim Services, The Samaritan Well in Macomb and Safe Harbor Family Crisis Center in Galesburg, to further the scope and reach of the Knights Motorcycle Riding Club's fundraising efforts, as well as to raise awareness for other service agencies in the region. The motorcycle club has members from Macomb and west central Illinois all the way north to Kewanee, Illinois.
The annual memorial ride and fundraising has brought in close to $175,000 to date. The St. Augustine, Illinois-based Knights, of which Jon is a member, along with Erin's partner, Todd Mason, organize the annual event. Last year's event brought in over 100 bikes. Any type of motor vehicle – motorcycle, car, truck – is welcome to participate in the 165-mile, six-hour ride.
'Silvie's Ride honors my granddaughter, while also raising awareness for domestic violence,' Yocum said.
'While domestic violence will unfortunately most likely never go away, we can make a difference by making people aware.'
The June 20 event begins with a breakfast, which is open to the public (pay at the door), from 7-10 a.m.
Registration will be held from 8-10 a.m., $20 per vehicle and $5/passenger.
A blessing of the bikes will be held at 10 a.m. and the ride will start at 10:30 a.m.
Participants return to the Elks at 4:30 p.m. for a dinner to wrap up the 2026 event.
A silent auction will also be held at the conclusion of the ride.
The Knights are a social club, but with a largely philanthropic mission. They keep enough in the coffers to pay the club's overhead, but most of their money goes toward a variety of charitable causes. The members host at least five fundraising rides a year, as well as an Honor Flight Trivia Night.
The club has raised enough money for an Honor Flight going out of Moline, Illinois that the flight has been named in the Knights' honor.
'It's the country's 250th anniversary and McDonough County's 200th anniversary, and as we honor survivors and victims of domestic violence, and work to raise awareness and prevention, we want to honor those individuals who have made it their mission over several decades to make our nation safe for all,' said club member and co-organizer Damon Wright.
Individuals and businesses interested in donating to the ride, either with a monetary gift and/or items for the silent auction; purchasing a t-shirt (by June 5), or volunteering at the June 20 event, should contact Wright at damonawright@ hotmail.com or (309) 331-5027. Cash, checks and Venmo are accepted, and club members can pick up donations at any location, including the Macomb Elks Club.
For more information, visit facebook.com/Silvies-RideAgainstChildAbuse/ and tinyurl.com/KMClub-Facebook.
