Ready, set ... MOW!

Roger Keur with his racing tractors. See a lawn mower race this weekend at Country Christian Church in North Branch. NORTH BRANCH — If it has a motor, Roger Keur will race it.

Case in point? This Sunday, Sept. 19 during his church’s annual Country Day event, Keur, senior minister at Country Christian Church, will race a lawn mower.

And Keur isn’t alone. In fact, as a member of the Michigan Lawnmower Racing Association he is just one of the hundreds of people around the state who have turned their mower into a vehicle for speed (well sort of, lawn mowers race at speeds of anywhere from 27 to 45 miles per hour).

Keur, who has been the senior minister at Country Christian Church for 19 years, got involved in the MILMRA through the encouragement of his brother Jay two years ago.

“It’s affordable (and) it’s something I can do now,” said Keur.

The brothers, who have always had a passion for racing, saw no reason not to give another vehicle a try.

“We’ve raced everything imaginable,” said Keur. “We’ve always been competitive.”

Since joining MILMRA Keur and his brother, who is also his mechanic, have raced their mowers all around the state at fairs, festivals and more.

While planning the church’s annual Country Day event, the youth minister at Country Christian, Curtis Suuppi, suggested Keur invite some of his racing buddies and hold a lawn mower race at the church that day.

Keur liked the idea and soon enough had a line up of racers for the event.

“I think it’s going to be a great thing,” said Keur.

While fun is an added bonus of lawn mower racing, the racers actually do the events for a cause. Their races, most of which including the race at Country Christian, can be attended for a donation. The money raised goes to Huntington’s disease research.

Huntington’s disease is a terminal neurological disease that affects the brain, which in turn affects a patient’s ability to walk, talk and have a normal life.

The disease hit close to home at Country Christian when member Connie Jenkinson’s husband passed away in 2003. Connie’s daughter also has the disease. Keur said that just gives him extra incentive to be part of the MILMRA.

Keur is also inviting members of the community who would like to try out lawn mower racing to bring their lawn mowers to the event. There will be a special division that day for firsttimers.

Along with the lawn mower race, Country Day will include a meet and greet with doughnuts and coffee at 9:30 a.m., worship under the big tent at 10:30 a.m., food — including a potluck dinner — and fellowship at 12:30 p.m., a kids’ carnival with inflatables at 1 p.m., a performance by the church’s teen band Rendezvous at 2 p.m. The lawn mower races being at 2:30 p.m. and go until 6 p.m. In between the races there will be a kids’ bike parade and race.

Keur said he expects more than 700 people at the event.

“We just want people to come,” said Keur. “It’s a great day.”

Country Christian Church is at 5677 N. Lapeer Rd. Details: 810-793-7417.