By Jim Witters

From national programs like the Ride for Kids to local clubs like the Toledo (Ohio) Trail Riders, motorcyclists find ways every year to open their hearts (and their wallets) to the community by staging rides and other events to benefit charitable causes.

Newspapers, TV stations and web blogs carry stories throughout the year of toy runs, veterans’ events, nursing home visits and other examples of the selflessness of motorcyclists and their desire to help others.

Here are a few examples of AMA-chartered clubs and AMA-sanctioned events organized by caring riders.

Toledo Trail Riders

The Toledo Trail Riders (http://toledotrailriders.org) hosts an annual charity event dubbed “Laps for _____,” where the blank is filled with a different cause each year.

“Generally in late October, we host it at the Maumee State Forest APV Area—one of four public state forest riding areas in Ohio,” said Matthew P. Bucher, founder and president of the club. “This year (2017) was our fourth year doing such an event. The first two years we selected the Hannah’s Socks organization, a local nonprofit here in Toledo, to benefit.”

Hannah’s Socks is a community-based nonprofit dedicated to helping people affected by homelessness, poverty and domestic abuse in Ohio and Southeast Michigan. The group collects and donates new socks and undergarments to those in need.

“In 2016, we selected Multiple Sclerosis and also debuted our new single-track in the Maumee State Forest at that event,” Bucher said. “For 2017, we benefited the Sertoma Club of Whitehouse, Ohio.”

The mission of Sertoma is to improve the quality of life for those at risk or affected by hearing loss. The group offers education and support to affected individuals.

The Toledo Trail Riders take a simple approach to philanthropy.

“Riders and participants donate money to the charity and are entered into raffle drawings,” Bucher said. “Raffle items are donated by local power sports dealerships that act as sponsors of the event. We do raffle drawings every hour and, in between those times, encourage participants to go out and ride and have a great time with their friends.”

Bucher said the Toledo Trail Riders added a road-riding portion to their 2017 event.

“It turned out great,” he said.

The club has raised more than $6,000 staging its four events, with 30 to 35 riders participating.

“In 2018, we are hoping to partner with the Make a Wish organization and potentially get a couple of kids out on UTVs to enjoy the trails,” Bucher said. “That would be huge.”

Make a Wish America’s vision is “to grant the wish of every child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition.”

Off Road Riders For Veterans

Russell Henry said he started his charity as “a labor of love,” because he saw a need for veterans who had become disabled as a result of their service.

Off Road Riders For Veterans (www.offroadridersforveterans.com) raises money to buy tracked mobility chairs that allow disabled veterans to traverse difficult terrain and access areas they otherwise would be shut out of. The chairs have tracks – like tanks — instead of wheels.

“These chairs cost $15,000 to $20,000 apiece,” Henry said. “So far, we’ve bought two of them. The first one went to Al Olsen of Yakima, Wash. The second one was presented in late 2017 to Todd Wingerson.”

Henry said he has been paying the costs of the events himself while the charity is in its fledgling stage. He works with the prosthetics department at the Veterans Administration hospital and goes on social media to find beneficiaries for his largesse.

But happenstance also has its place.

“I was up in Ellensburg, Wash., scouting trails for the next event,” Henry said. “At the motel, I noticed two KTMs, so I struck up a conversation with their riders. One of them was Todd Wingerson’s best friend. That’s how Todd got his track chair.”

The charity tries to “provide a high quality family friendly OHV event to raise money to buy disabled veterans tracked mobility chairs,” Henry said. “We went from 52 riders at the first event to 113 and made enough to buy the first tracked chair.”

Participants at the ride meet the veterans who receive the chairs.

“Al Olsen came to the Ellensburg event and shared about how the chair has impacted his life,” Henry said. “The final festivities were led by the junior color guard from the Yakima Composite Flight Squadron. They led us in the pledge of allegiance, sang the National Anthem then presented the colors. We were treated to a fly over by the United States Air Ambulance Detachment from Yakima.”

AMA Life Member Byron Stuck, president of the Washington Off Highway Vehicle Alliance, said Henry’s work is beneficial.

“I really like the connection between helping veterans and off-road riders,” Stuck said. “A lot of riders are either veterans themselves or ride with, live with or were brought up by them. Seeing that there’s something they can give back to those veterans who’ve given so much for us, it just clicks!”

Henry said he hopes to set up booths at poker runs and races during 2018 and offer one-day rides in addition to his larger events.

Another tactic Henry employs is the “free breakfast,” which relies on rider donations.

“In addition to helping these veterans, I think this helps enhance the image of our sport,” Henry said. “It’s a great sport. But it has a somewhat rough image.”

Ride for Kids

Ride for Kids raises millions each year for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation through events in cities across the country.

“For nearly 35 years, the motorcycling community has rallied together for children and teens battling brain tumors, the deadliest childhood cancer,” said Tiffany Drummond Armstrong, vice president of campaign development at the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. “By raising more than $2 million in 2017, Ride for Kids is fueling critical research, as well as advancing the field for tomorrow by funding Early Career Development awardees like Pratiti Bandopadhayay, MBBS, Ph.D., an instructor in pediatrics at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s focused on combination therapies for medulloblastoma.

“As we prepare to celebrate Ride for Kids’ 35th anniversary in 2018, the PBTF gives thanks for the motorcyclists, sponsors and volunteers who have joined us in fighting for futures.”

One of the Ride for Kids volunteers is Vladimir Giterman, task force leader for the New England Ride for Kids (www.facebook.com/NewEnglandRideforKids).

His club, the MetroWest Motorcycle Riders, has been involved with Ride for Kids for 20 years. Giterman became involved in 2011, when his son was diagnosed with brain cancer.

“My son lost his life after a 5-year-long battle,” he said. “This is my personal mission to make a difference.

“I always talk to my team of volunteers about the mission. I share my personal story and stories of other families like mine. I’d assume each of them has their own motivation, depending on the job they do, but I am trying to make them understand that they are making a difference. They see it on the day of the event. Our stars [kids battling brain tumors] and their families come up and thank them during the event and that makes a huge impact.”

The New England Ride for Kids drew about 700 people on 430 motorcycles, raising $73,950 in 2017.

In addition to the ride, participants were treated to appearances by Miss Massachusetts USA Julia Scaparotti, costumed superheroes and Disney princesses.

One fundraiser, Dave Odess, has been participating in the New England Ride for Kids for two decades. In 2017, he raised $22,180.

“People hear it everywhere: ‘Every dollar makes a difference.’ I wish I could have the power to show people just for a day what it’s like,” Giterman said. “Obviously, I don’t’ wish that their kids get sick. But I would challenge them to walk side-by-side with a parent that heard the news that their child has brain cancer.

“Sometimes I tell people at the presentations that I make, ‘Imagine you get a call from the school, and the nurse tells you that your kid is sick. Just for a moment, your heart stops. Just for a moment, you are so worried that your stomach turns. Then the nurse says that it’s nothing serious. Just a little fever. Or just a little bump and everything goes back to normal. Well, imagine that it does not get back to normal … for years … and this is the best case scenario. This is what it’s like to have a kid with cancer.’”

Giterman said the “best case scenario is you always worry. The other alternative is my story, where I lost my son after five years of constant hospital visits.”

R&T Club

The Road and Trail Motorcycle Club of Frederick, Md. (www.randt-club.com), was established in 1970 and staged its 8th Annual R&T Charity Trail Ride in September. The event is also part of the Ride for Kids effort.

Club spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said 240 riders turned out for two days of riding, including a 13-mile loop with advanced and beginner options of single track and grass trails. The event also included motorcycle games for the kids, and a 2-mile kids loop.

Food was provided by the local Boy Scout Troop #32 of Romney, W.Va.

“The R&T Club has a strong emphasis on youth riding, community service and charities,” Nelson said. “With that said, the PBTF (Ride for Kids) was a natural fit for our club’s format. Pediatric brain tumors are one of the most deadly forms of childhood cancers.”

R&T also participates in the Baltimore/Washington area Ride for Kids Road Ride and Rally each year.

Nelson said R&T is the top fund-raising off-road club in the region.

“The R&T Club raised $11,500 at this year’s event,” he said. “The event is in memory of R&T Club member Ron Lowing, who helped start this event and passed away of cancer in 2011.”

R&T also organizes an Adopt-a-Road project four times a year, an annual blood drive, a food drive and a Cookies for the Troops Day.

The club also helps man the Ride for Kids booth at the Timonium Motorcycle Show.

“What is comes down to is knowing that you’re contributing to a great cause,” Nelson said. “And getting some great riding opportunities.”