RAT and Charity

[LMandrake]

When I am riding my bike, I cannot help but to think how lucky I am that I have a few extra buck (LOL) to be able to own the motorcycle of my dreams. I think its important when you have a group (ie. a local RAT group) to use the power of numbers to give back to the community in one way or another ( other than taxes and speeding tickets).

I was wondering what other RAT groups do as a group to give back. Either raise money for a charity or give time and how they do it. I would like to head up a fund raiser or something but really dont know where to start. Would like to get some suggestions and ideas from other Groups around the World on what they do.


At the Gettysburg Raid. I spoke to a couple that said in their group they pick a charity and have a raffle each year. any more ideas

Cheers

[EDC64]

There are a few big runs that go on around here. The Childrens Miracle Network just had one. $20.00 and you got a T-shirt and meal afterwards. A local Vol. Fire Co. has a "Biker Breakfast" each month, procedes go to them and equip. etc. I enjoy the local type events, one ride just helped to raise money for a local police officer hurt in the line of duty. While many of these rides draw alot of HD riders, all brands are welcome and everyone seems to put aside the petty BS of which brand you're on. The guy on the Honda 400 is giving the same amount to the same cause as the guy on the full dress Hog. I've seen postings for these rides everywhere from diners, bars, bike dealers to the newspaper. I'll be looking now for the "Toys for Tots ride. I know I've spent more money on worse things.

[DavePreston]

Let me recommend to you Riders for Health. Based in England, Riders for Health has grown over the past 20 years while winning all sorts of awards for efficiency, as in how much of your donation actually is used for good. Google them at Riders for Health for the whole story, but essentially RfH was begun by Andrea Coleman when she worked as the PR flak for Randy Mamola back in the early 1980's. The point is that is that it does not do much good to ship tons of medical supplies to areas of great need - small countries in Africa - if you cannot get the supplies to where they are needed. RfH supplies small dirt bikes and training in maintenance to Africans, and they have had incredible success, as can be shown by dramatic statistics for disease reduction and improvements infant mortality rates where they have been active. They are actually now creating a small infrastructure of mechanical training and repair centers in an ares that had none, and building the economy of several areas from the bottom up.

This is the only charity I can think of that ues MOTORCYCLES as the center of its activities. Andrea and Barry Coleman are tremendous people, and life long motorcyclists. He is a former journalist who wrote the biography of Kenny Roberts, among other accomplishments, and she was, in her youth, a professional 250GP racer!

RfH is supported by most of the Moto GP factory teams, and most of the F1 car racing teams, and most of the manufacturers. Triumph is one of the few factories to stay removed from them, a cruel irony considering this is an effective charity that does a world of good and wins all sorts of international awards and is... British!

I have had the pleasure of meeting them and volunteering some efforts and money toward their work, and they are the real deal when it comes to charity. Spread the word!

Donations from dollars to pounds are handled by another volunteer (I have never met) who is an attorney in the East. (I forget the state).

We do a couple of fun events a year where the riders need to follow the route directions I lay out and find the answers to questions to win prizes we provide. We raise just a few hundred dollars a year - but a few hundred dollars a year buys a LOT of medical supplies, spark plugs, etc. in Africa.

If you would like the address of the attorney, please send me an e-mail to fanatic@cyclebarn.com, as all of my detailed info is at work.

Cheers!