A huge group of motorcyclists will be in Springfield June 16-18 boosting the economy and raising money for a local charity.

Along with spending about $1.4 million during the 49th Annual BMW Motorcycle Owners of America National Rally, the 5,500 attendees will raise money for the MOA Karol Patzer Children’s Charity Challenge. The money raised will go to Care to Learn, a program that’s helped area school kids with health, hunger and hygiene needs since 2008.

The BMW Motorcycle Owners of America consists of 32,000 motorcycle enthusiasts who share a passion for BMW motorcycles. The group dates back 50 years to 1972 when five friends formed a motorcycle club to stay in touch with each other. Today, the group is a network of riders from all 50 states, 10 Canadian provinces and seven continents.

Admission is $85 for group members and $105 for guests. The fee covers all three days of the event; day passes are available for June 18 at $35.

Learn more about the group and rally at https://www.bmwmoa.org or see BMW MOA on Facebook.

This is one of the dozens of groups booked annually by the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, a nonprofit marketing organization dedicated to growing the local economy through travel and tourism. For more information, visit www.SpringfieldMO.org or call 417-881-5300.