This weekend promises to end the summer with a flurry of benefit ride activity. The weekly benefit rides are winding down, so this weekend will give everyone a chance to ride on Saturday and again on Sunday — the Holly Petro Fund Ride Saturday and the Bikes for Tykes ride Sunday.
For the second year, the Wyoming Valley Motorcycle Club will host a benefit that helps local children in the area enjoy Christmas a little more. The club works with an organization called Cross Walks that works out of the Rock in the Back Mountain.
Last year the ride raised enough money to purchase 35 bikes for children in the Luzerne County area. There were 180 bikes at last year’s run. After a hard year for the national economy and with state funds being cut for many programs locally, the need is even bigger this year. I’m proud to say that the Weekender is one of the many sponsors of this ride.
I asked the WVMC’s Guy Izzo why he thought this ride was such a success and why he expected it to be so again this year.
“I think first because it is a great cause, it is a WVMC event, we are told by so many bikers and non bikers that they enjoy WVMC fundraisers and good causes,” he said. “Yes, also it’s the end-of-the year event.”
A recent report from “Good Morning America” states that “99 percent of food banks are seeing an increase in visitors.” This translates into much less cash for presents at Christmastime for many area children. When putting food on the table is the priority, presents take a backseat. With increased demands on everyone’s wallet each person that shows up for one of these benefits is greatly appreciated and needed.
This idea was the brainchild of WVMC President Bob Lonsdale, who wanted to do something to replace the Teddy Bear Patrol Run.
“First of all, is it entirely run and organized by bikers and a motorcycle club,” Izzo said when asked what makes this ride different. “It also helps many children in our area, and all the funds raised stay local; (it’s) not a national fund. It also gets to the children quick, and the smiles on their faces ... it melts you deep inside.”
I witnessed this melting last year as the bikes were presented to children who waited patiently for more than an hour, sang songs and talked about the mystery of Christmas. At the end of the presentations of the bikes, one young child who didn’t have very much of his own graciously gave his bike to his cousin because he didn’t have anything and he already had a bike. In this one selfless act, the true spirit of giving in any season found wings. We lead by our example.
This ride is a special year-end event and is a poker run-style ride. If you’ve never done a poker run, it’s rather interesting. As you register you get a card which begins your poker hand, and at each successive stop, five in all, you select a card from a deck. Thus, your five-card draw hand. There are prizes for the best hands. No one ever gets mad about losing in this card game, since the proceeds all go to such a good cause: the kids. And believe me, I’ve had some really bad hands in these runs. Must be a lack of a good poker face … Hmmm.
The ride beings Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11a.m. at Spurs (900 Oak St., Pittston Twp.). The five stops are Spurs, Two G’s in Bear Creek, Capone’s in White Haven, King’s in Mountain Top, and the ending spot, Outsiders in Wilkes-Barre. These spots were all chosen because they were favorite stops for Big George Thompson, in whose honor this ride takes place.
Hope to see you there! Til then, Merry Christmas. Santa is watching.
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