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Seasonal giving displays the best in bikers

Ken Bingenheimer's photo
Motorcycles Examiner
Hoisting boxes for food for needy families
Unloading and reloading boxes for food for needy families

That my local ABATE chapter is not unique is exactly the point. On Friday a truck pulled up loaded with enough food to feed 400 families for a week and it was paid for by money raised by the chapter, in cooperation with several other groups. Probably the stereotype most worthy of replacing the Hollister, outlaw image of bikers is that bikers are dotty for kids.

Late fall is always the time for Toys for Tots runs and their like, and all that charitable activity is now reaching its objective: providing Christmas for kids who otherwise would get stiffed by Santa. Toys are great but hard to enjoy if your belly is crying out for food. Thus you have activities such as the ABATE District 10 Erica Reyes Kids Without a Christmas effort, which is where the truck of food comes in.

District 10, in cooperation with the Frontier Club, where its chapter meetings are held, and VFW Post 3631 next door, and the Friends of ABATE organization, raised $11,000 to buy this truckload of food, to be given to needy families. Another donor provided approximately 400 winter coats and Avon donated boxes of its products. The Aurora Police Department and the Aurora Fire Department will identify the recipient families and make the deliveries.

Also participating was one of the local Star Yamaha owners' groups, which helped D-10 get the event started last year. D-10 is also sharing some of the food with District 5 for their charitable activities.

And on a cold, wintry Friday afternoon, about 40 members of these various organizations were on hand to unload the truck and start breaking the load up to go to its various destinations.

Commented Randy Savely, D-10 representative, "It's been great, we enjoy it. We're letting them know we're not all bad people out there."

And it is countless efforts just like this one that have perhaps done the most to erase the negative image of bikers created decades ago. But mixing with the group you don't get the feeling that this has anything to do with erasing stereotypes. It has to do with feeding kids at Christmas time. Period.

bikers with food truck

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Ken Bingenheimer has been in love with motorcycles as long as he can remember and finds Colorado the perfect place to ride. He shares his enthusiasm on his website, Passes and Canyons, Motorcycle Touring in Colorado. Reach him at kenbingenheimer@yahoo.com.

Comments

  • Mary Baker 2 years ago

    Bikers do more for local and national charities than any group I can think of. Thanks for bringing it to the attention of the public, once again.

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