Community members in Vichy are hosting the 13th annual Leroy Tipton Memorial Tractor Cruise on Sept. 13 at Tipton Farms, 14218 MCR 499, Vichy. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. the morning of the event, followed by a 9 a.m. drivers’ safety meeting. Registration for the cruise is $20 per tractor, with proceeds going to the Vichy Volunteer Fire Department. Tractors will leave the staging area at 9:30 a.m. and will ride through the backroads of Vichy “in honor of Leroy’s memory and love for his community,” according to a flyer for the event. The ride is also being held in memory of Bob Hagen, a long-time friend of the Vichy Volunteer Fire Department.

The tractor cruise, now in its 13th year, was started by Leroy Tipton in 2009 as a way to raise money for the Vichy Volunteer Fire Department. Tipton organized the event for five consecutive years until his passing in February 2014. His friends and family have carried on Tipton’s work by organizing the event in the years since his death.

Kerry Feeler is organizing the event this year, and said that the tractor cruise is an opportunity to build bonds among community members.

“There’s tractor collectors, there’s enthusiasts, and it’s just a time to get together. It’s not so much about the ride as it is about the camaraderie, the getting together, the visiting,” Feeler said. “Some of these people we don’t see but once a year, because they come and visit and talk about our tractor collections, and it’s just a great chance to ride through the country.”

Any tractor that is deemed safe at the safety meeting is eligible to enter the ride. Feeler said that vintage collector tractors and modern models are all welcome to participate. Drivers must be at least 16 years old with a license. Organizers ask that drivers have a “Slow Moving Vehicle” sign for their tractor.

Those interested in registering their tractor up for the cruise or donating can contact Kerry Feeler at 573-578-7281.

The $20 registration fee includes lunch at the Vichy Firehouse and a commemorative button. Meals for the event are being sponsored by Bob Hagen’s family. Lunch includes whole-hog sausages and chicken and dumplings.

That evening, volunteers at the Vichy Volunteer Fire Department will be serving an all-you-care-to-eat dinner of whole hog sausages and chicken and dumplings. Dinner will also include homemade hash browns, baked beans, coleslaw, desserts and beverages. Dinners are available for dine-in and carryout, and cost $15 for adults and $7 for children. Meat costs for the fundraiser were covered by Vesper and Brewer Science.