When people think of bikers, the picture that comes to mind to many is the big, burley hairy tattooed bad ass dude out looking for trouble. Most people don’t think of bikers as being the caring, empathetic, community-oriented, make-a-difference kind of people. But we are. (Even though some of us are big and burley, hairy and tattooed!)
All across the country bikers rally together to help causes in our communities. We’re raising money for people and groups we care about who are in need, or we’re riding to honor people we respect.
On any given weekend, or weekday for that matter, there is a group of bikers out there riding for a cause. Here are just a few happening this weekend:
“Ride with the 40” left the morning of September 11 from Newark, NJ, to ride the flight plan of Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania on 9/11/2001. Family and friends of the victims and heroes on that fight will be riding across the country to where the flight was supposed to land, in San Francisco. You can track their route right now at ridewiththe40.org.
A woman in LaCrosse, Wisconsin organized a bike ride/poker run this Saturday to raise money for to help women pay for mammograms.
Harry Herington, a former cop, is riding to every state capitol to raise awareness of the dangers law enforcement faces and is taking donations to help families of fallen police officers. He just left Indiana and you can track his ride on ride4cops.com.
Hundreds of bikers participate in the West Valley Memorial Ride in Los Angeles to benefit the police. Last year they raised $12,000. The ride is from Malibu to Paramount Studios this Saturday.
In Chantilly, Virginia, an annual motorcycle ride raises money to benefit the local Down Syndrome Association.
Next weekend, a biker mom from Southbury, Connecticut is having her 8th annual benefit ride for her 7-year-old daughter who has “brittle bone disease.” Around 200 bikers rally together for this ride. The daughter happily rides in the sidecar.
The Patriot Guard Riders of Northeast Kansas are riding to raise money to benefit wounded soldiers.
The list of charitable and community events that bikers organize and participate in is as long as a great stretch of road. It’s great to know that there are so many opportunities to turn your joy of riding into something bigger, something that really makes a difference in people’s lives.