A bunch of sun-bronzed, leather-wearing motorcycle riders gathered at the Tyngsboro Sportsmen's Club in Massachusetts, the United States, eyeing each other's rides and giving an approving nod before they all peeled out on their steel horses and hit the road for the 80-kilometer (50-mile) Special Teams for Exceptional People (STEP) Bike Run beneath the sunny skies recently.
"I do it every year. It's for a good cause," said Jim Dauteuil, of Tyngsboro, the proud owner of a gold-coloured 2003 Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson motorcycle, that was ready to hit the road in style.
"It's a good charity," said Joe Kluch, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, who was deep in a conversation with Dauteuil before kickstands went up.
That cause hits close to home to a lot of the riders, as the Bike Run raises funds for a local group of volunteers who organise games, dances and other activities for adults and children who have special needs.
"STEP exists to facilitate social, recreational and sporting activities and events for children and adults with disabilities in order to instill in them confidence and self-esteem," the group says online.
"These events and activities are inclusive to their siblings and families and are intended to teach everyone that there are no boundaries on what those with disabilities can do or achieve."
More than just motorcycles
And for the Bike Run held recently, there were a long line of local police officers ready to ride, on their day off, and keep the procession safe as the group roared out along the streets to Downtown Lowell, Chelmsford, Groton, Pepperell and Townsend and back to Tyngsboro in Middlesex County in Massachusetts, for some good food, country and classic rock music from the band Hatt Trick, some water slides down a steep plastic-coated banking and a solid feeling of satisfaction that they did something important.
And it was the string of police officers showing up to do even more for the community, when they could have been at home with their family that struck Dauteuil close to the heart.
"They're volunteering their time," he said, explaining that, "We don't have to stop" along the Bike Run as the cops run interference with the weekend motorists along the way.
"I get goosebumps when I think about them. They're the best," Dauteuil said.
Then, when the ride is done, "we come back here for some barbecue," he said.
"To me," said Kluch, "it's the camaraderie of the people that enjoy riding."
That makes it a worthwhile day.
Craig Lavallee of Windham, New Hampshire, came down to Tyngsboro for the Bike Run. He was standing by his BMW R1300 before the event started, prepping the proper gear.
Asked if his bike was remarkable in any way, he said, "They're all special models," with an arm extended to encompass the parking lot full of Harleys, Hondas and other motorcycles ready to roll.
"People have a connection to their vehicles." He noted he's been riding an R1300 for about 15 years and just upgraded to a newer model, saying, "I prefer a lighter motorcycle that has more than enough performance for what you need."
A former soldier, he notes that he rides at a lot of the motorcycle runs in which the American Legion Riders and Patriot Riders participate, saying they have a wide range of charitable endeavours that need the funds, including helping many of the veterans who sometimes still struggle to find their way in the civilian world once their active military service has ended.
"There's not enough outreach to veterans when they come back," Lavallee said, but groups like the American Legion try to fill that void and meet other community needs with activities such as the STEP Bike Run.
"Now that I'm retired, it gets you out of the house, doing something positive."
Camaraderie on the road
Directing drivers entering the Sportsmen's Club parking lot where to go at the STEP Bike Run was Charlie Soiles, who said he was glad to be there.
"It's a good programme. My son is handicapped, has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and what they now call being 'globally behind.' My son is 27, but he doesn't think like a 27-year-old. He thinks like a seven or eight-year-old kid. We take him to everything (that the STEP does). He loves it."
Waving the cars in before the start of the motorcycle run, Soiles said, "It's great they come out here. This is a fundraiser for us. I would like to thank them all, especially the police, all of them."
Ziggy Zabotka was also volunteering at the Bike Run event and wasn't shy about touting the benefits generated for people in tough straights by the STEP team.
"It's great. This is the best thing I ever did. It's worth it, definitely, for the kids. It's all for the kids."
At one of the many shaded tables Priscilla St. Louis and Charlene Suslowicz were all smiles as they kept busy selling tickets for a barbecue lunch, as well as for a raffle of a US$300 (RM1,217) batch of scratch tickets, and a recently donated leather jacket.
Beside them was Faith Polk, a volunteer and trustee for the STEP board of directors, making sure everything went smoothly.
"It's a perfect day," Polk said. "Everything is wonderful and we're getting more and more (participants) every year. It's an awesome cause, all for special needs kids. The kids love it."
She noted they put on dances every month, and sports activities several times a week, including volleyball and soccer.
"We love to take care of our kids."
Rick Kopacz, of Lowell, said his wife couldn't make it, but he was joined on the ride by his niece, Jen Baxley, also of Lowell.
"I've been promising her a ride all this season," he said.
"And then my daughter was recently diagnosed with autism," said Baxley, making the ride all that more meaningful.
Kopacz explained that it was a family tradition to help the groups supporting those with special needs, dating back to the 1970s, and his brother and sister would do the bike ride fundraisers and volunteer at Camp Paul at the Paul Center for Learning and Recreation in Chelmsford, which also helps those with special needs.
"I was too young to volunteer back then, but now that I'm older I do what I can," Kopacz said.
And that includes revving it up in a pack of motorcycle riders streaming through towns near and far for a good cause on an impressive Honda 13 VTX with a skeleton detail on the tank, which he was seen to be polishing before the start of the event.
"I live in Lowell and I worked in Boston and as long as there wasn't snow or ice on the ground, I would take my bike.... I just did a charity ride yesterday."
And on this day, another, the STEP Bike Run, keeping the wheels and the positive energy and the support for those in need rolling along. – Sentinel & Enterprise/Tribune News Service
