If you like riding motorcycles and want to make a difference, a charity motorcycle ride can help with both.
At the Motorcycle Supershow in Mississauga on the weekend, there were numerous booths promoting group motorcycle rides, all in the name of fundraising and support for charities and organizations.
Group sizes vary from 20 to 2000 riders, with single- and multiple-day rides, most with events and food waiting at the end of a countryside jaunt. Behind each ride is a group of planners and volunteers working hard to make each event fun and safe for the riders, as well as beneficial for the charities they support. We spoke with a bunch of them to find out more.
Desiree’s Ride
- Chatham, June 1; Peterborough, July 27; Brantford, August 17; Niagara Falls, September 7
- In support of local Victims Services and Women’s Shelters in each hosting city
Lisa Stanford, Desiree’s Angels: “Desiree Gallagher was a 21-year-old woman who was brutally assaulted in London and fell seven stories from a balcony, ended up in a wheelchair, blind. She lived for two years and then, because of her brain injury, she passed away. We ride in memory of Desiree Gallagher, and all our proceeds go to victims’ services and women’s shelters in the area of our ride.”
Susan Gerth, Desiree’s mother: “A friend had suggested to do a ride to raise (money for) rehabilitation and medical costs for her, so the first ride was for her, and with her passing we continued to keep the ride going and become a non-profit organization called ‘Desiree’s Angels’ to support victims of crime.”
