Charity

NFL QB to team with reality TV star on motorcycle run for epilepsy

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by Ron Kantowski from https://www.reviewjournal.com Rick Harrison’s seventh Pawn Stars Poker Run benefiting those suffering from epilepsy and their families will have an NFL quarterback riding shotgun this year. Brett Hundley, the former UCLA star who started nine games for Green Bay Packers in 2017 in place of injured Aaron Rodgers and is now a free agent, will team with the TV reality star during this year’s motorcycle charity run set for May 29. The Hundley Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in need, will be a benefactor of the rally. Hundley’s older sister, Paris, was a budding track star before she started having grand mal seizures when she was 11, the free-agent quarterback said during a recent Las Vegas visit. “This is where all the passion came from,” Hundley said about his charitable pursuits. “Football is still huge, but life is so much bigger.” Harrison said he suffered violent epileptic seizures when he was a youngster and that he still has problems today because of them. “I would tear all the muscles in my back and legs. I couldn’t walk at all. I’d be in bed for two weeks sometimes,” said the owner of Las Vegas’ Gold & Silver Pawn Shop featured on the History series “Pawn Stars.” Harrison wrote about the ravages of epilepsy in his 2011 biography that made the New York Times’ best-seller list. Harrison and Hundley will lead riders on an excursion through Las Vegas and the surrounding area beginning at 10 a.m. at the pawn shop near downtown. To register or for more information, visit the Poker Run website at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lucky-7th-annual-pawn-stars-poker-run-tickets-138506447513

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Zero Motorcycles DSR Earth Day Limited Edition

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by Otilia Drăgan from https://www.autoevolution.com When everyone was celebrating Earth Day, Zero Motorcycles were also celebrating their 15th anniversary. So they decided to make it extra special, by releasing a limited-edition DSR and donating part of the sales to the National Forest Foundation. You know it’s a special day when one of the coolest electric motorcycle brands surprises the world with five new colors for one of their most popular bikes. Zero Motorcycles’ DSR has just been released in nature-inspired colors, to honor nature and celebrate Earth Day. But that’s not all. For every limited-edition bike that is sold, the Californian company will be donating $500 to the National Forest Foundation. The donations will then be used by the Foundation for various projects that are aimed at maintaining or restoring trail systems. This way, riders who are passionate about electric motorcycles and protecting the environment, can also enjoy better access to sustainable trails. It all comes full circle. “Our bikes are an incredible way to experience off-road riding, including in America’s National Forests, and we stand with the National Forest Foundation in their mission to guarantee access to those lands for future generations.”, said Sam Paschel, Zero Motorcycles CEO. This project only reiterates Zero Motorcycles’ commitment to sustainability. After all, their electric, hand-crafted bikes were designed for adventure and off-road explorations without any negative impact on the environment. Dayle Wallien, Conservation Partnerships Director for the National Forest Foundation, stated that “we are excited and grateful to partner with Zero Motorcycles on projects to improve outdoor experiences and restore our National Forests. Our public lands are amazing places to explore and recreate and we appreciate a commitment to help us steward them from an innovative company like Zero”. Each one of the 15th anniversary limited-edition models is built with the well-known

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Athens motorcycle club fundraises for Special Olympics

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by Lauren Layton from https://whnt.com The Athens chapter of Iron Legacy Motorcycle Club hosted their third annual “Dream Ride” today benefiting the men, women, and kids involved with Special Olympics. The group charged $20 per motorcycle to join them on their 65-mile ride beginning and ending at Redstone Harley Davidson in Madison. The event today, complete with live music, giveaways, and even a food truck, is just one of the ways they’ve fundraised tens of thousands of dollars over the past year. To many of the club members, this cause hits close to home. “It touches close to my heart because I have a special needs daughter, so I enjoy it. It’s all about the kids, it’s not about me, it’s not about anybody, it’s all about the kids,” Athens Iron Legacy chapter President Randy Ruper said. Iron Legacy is a motorcycle club not only spread out over the United States but in countries like Guatemala, Canada, Germany, and more; many host fundraisers of their own making contributions to the Special Olympics.

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Florida motorcycle club holds 15th annual memorial ride honoring fallen heroes

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by Andrea Guerrero and Drew Hill from https://www.winknews.com Charlotte County came together to honor fallen officers on Saturday with the 15th annual Fallen Heroes Fundraiser. This year it began with a memorial motorcycle ride in honor of the first female corrections officer killed in the line of duty. More than two dozen officers in Southwest Florida have been killed in the line of duty in recent years. Darla Latham is one of the officers. Every year the Florida Defenders Motorcycle Club makes sure to honor her. Vinny Gorgogolione is the President of the Charlotte County chapter of the Defenders. “Today’s our 15th annual fundraiser in the name of the Darla Latham who was killed in the line of duty during a prison break in 2003,” said Gorgogolione. Hundreds of bikers from different chapters all around the country gathered for Latham and other fallen officers. “I think it’s important to focus our efforts on officer safety and those that do get injured or killed on the line of duty that there’s somebody there to try to help them and their families out,” Gorgogolione said. Toney Mineo recently retired as officers and they rode from the east coast to who their support for this forever brotherhood. “It’s heart-wrenching for first of all that we know what they go through,” Mineo said. “Our job as a former law-enforcement is to make sure they’re OK and if they need anything to step up to the plate.” The money raised is to support our local men and women in blue. Chief Pam Davis with Punta Gorda police knows this can make the difference. “Know that they gave their lives for something and very important and society and that we as a police family we’re here for you too,” said Davis. Both the Punta Gorda Department

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Harley-Davidson Dealer remembered as the community’s unsung hero

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by Eddie Morales from https://www.jsonline.com The owner of Cedarburg’s Wayne’s Drive-In and a Harley Davidson dealer in Thiensville is remembered as the community’s unsung hero. When Wayne Houpt achieved his goal of becoming a business owner with Wayne’s Auto Body in 1962, it was just the beginning of the many accolades he would earn and lives that he would touch. Houpt, born Oct. 1, 1938, was a family man and owner of several North Shore businesses for nearly 60 years. He died March 28 due to heart failure. The Famous Wheeler Dealer Houpt met his wife and business partner, Joan, during their senior year in high school. The pair were together for 59 years. He started his entrepreneurial career with Wayne’s Auto Body in Saukville. Houpt expanded the business with a used car lot and moved the shop to Grafton, where he opened Suburban Motors of Grafton Inc. In 1975, Houpt added Harley-Davidson motorcycles to his inventory and in 1985, he moved Suburban Motors to its current location, 139 N. Main St., Thiensville. That’s when Houpt earned the moniker “The Famous Wheeler Dealer.” He was known for accepting trades like cows, dental service and boats from customers who were a bit short on cash. Houpt’s daughter, Sandy Rath, said she remembers her father taking the family to various burger restaurants when she was a kid. Rath would later realize Houpt was taste testing the food in anticipation of opening his own restaurant one day. Houpt opened Wayne’s Drive-In in 1998, at 1331 Covered Bridge Road, Cedarburg. Rath said when the drive-in first opened, Houpt would eat there all the time. “He would go to Wayne’s the minute it opened,” she said. “He was like a kid in a candy shop. He loved that drive-in. He loved going there, and he

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The Story Behind the Notorious Widows Sons

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A Family Riding Club within the FreeMason Organization By Bandit with photos from David Dolph And no, they are not destined to take over the world. A brother in the Widows Sons club contacted Bikernet recently. David Dolph told me, “We are a Masonic Riders Association and a group of Master Masons who have come together to promote Freemasonry within the motorcycling community and help introduce motorcycling to our non-riding Masonic brothers. Our first priority, is to aid & assist widows and orphans of Master Masons.” Click Here to read this Feature Article on Bikernet. Join the Cantina – Subscribe Now https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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115-year-old Motorcycle dealer to ride into the sunset

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by Warren Scott from https://www.heraldstaronline.com WINTERSVILLE — John and Kim Neidengard said preparing for the Feb. 27 closing of their 115-year-old family business is a bittersweet experience. After selling Harley-Davidson motorcycles and related gear to hundreds of area residents, they are looking forward to spending more time riding together on the road and visiting their adult children and grandchildren. But the couple of 23 years said they will miss seeing their regular customers, working with others to organize poker runs that have raised thousands for charity and carrying on a legacy culminating in the state’s oldest family-owned Harley-Davidson dealership. Kim admitted she became a motorcycle fan after meeting John 28 years ago, noting his love of cycling started at an early age. “I worked here probably since I was 12,” said John, who noted it was common for children in family-run businesses to help out “as soon as you were old enough.” “As soon as I graduated from high school, I went to full time,” he said, adding he never thought of doing anything else. John said in that regard, he was much like his father, John F., who had worked for his father, G.H. Neidengard, a machinist who opened the family’s first motorcycle shop at 137 South Third, Steubenville. John said G.H. was a friend of the first Steubenville man to own a motorcycle and quickly fell in love with them. Early motorcycles were little more than bicycles with motors, noted John, but they offered low-cost transportation at a time before Henry Ford’s Model T made automobiles affordable to most people. They also were a form of entertainment, as motorcycle enthusiasts participated in hillclimbs and races that, in the days before radio and television, drew many spectators. John said the first shop was quite large, with second story apartments

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Triumph Over Tragedy For Local Motorcycle Company

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by Kelly Wise Valdes from https://www.ospreyobserver.com Jared Weems from Riverview is no stranger to adversity. But, as Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” No one knows this better than Weems. The 42-year-old is from a fourth-generation vintage motorcycle enthusiast family. He explained that the passion for all things involving vintage British motorcycles runs in his blood. Weems was born in Tampa, but ultimately he was raised for the majority of his life in South Tennessee. After high school, he returned to the Tampa area and eventually joined the Army in 2003. He proudly served his country in Special Ops and spent a majority of his military time parachuting from airplanes. It was during this time that he married his wife, Breanne, and they had two children—a son, Austin, 13, and a daughter, Adelaide, 11. After the onset of some health issues, Weems was medically discharged from the Army in 2018 and moved to Riverview. Unfortunately, his health issues proved to be serious and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that caused seizures. It was at this time that he hit a low point in his life. “I sold my motorcycles and was unsure where my life was headed,” said Weems. A pivotal moment took place when a friend came to visit and brought a painting from a famous artist, David Mann. Mann’s work mostly featured Harley Davidson bikes and his paintings were published regularly in Easyriders magazine for more than 20 years. During his lifetime, Mann painted only two pictures of a Triumph bike, and Weems was holding one of those pictures. “I wanted to build the Triumph bike that Mann had painted,” said Weems. “The painting was something of Mann’s creation—it wasn’t a bike that ever really existed.” Weems was motivated by his new

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Robson Riders Motorcycle Club Coats for Kids Ride

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by Stan Brein from http://robsonranchpioneerpress.com A big thank you to the wonderful residents of Robson Ranch and the members of the Robson Ranch Motorcycle Club. In this topsy turvy year where community need skyrocketed, your continued support made our 10th annual Coats for Kids Ride event an overwhelming success. Although the ride itself could not be held, we gathered at American Eagle Harley Davidson on Nov. 21, to collect coats and celebrate with the good people who organized and contributed to this event. Everyone who attended the event brought at least one coat and many folks brought several. The final count of coats collected was 1,775, with 205 of those coming from Robson Ranch. The collection box at my front door was constantly overflowing. The coats were gathered and sorted at the Denton Independent School District Service Center under the coordination of Barb Haflich, Coordinator of Social Services. They were then distributed to representatives from every district in Denton County: Aubrey, Decatur, Krum, Lake Dallas, Lewisville, Little Elm, Ponder, Sanger, and Denton. We are indebted to so many folks for this success. I would like to give a special thank you to Jan and Dave Riddle for their work with the Kiwanis Club, and Cherlyn and Bob Conway and their NxNW neighbors for efforts above and beyond the call of duty. In an effort to get back to some semblance of normalcy, the club had a lunch ride on Dec. 8, to Doc’s Bar and Grill in Muenster, Texas. This destination is a double favorite for riders, given the great menu offerings and the scenic route to arrive there. Mike Conley, Stephen Wiley, Dennis Dotson, Steve Williams, Robert Cox, Reggie Rother, Dave Riddle, and Dick Spivey enjoyed good food and comradery in true biker fashion. The club board members met

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Memphis Motorcycle Club giving more than ever in spite of pandemic

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by Peter Fleischer from https://wreg.com MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There are numerous groups and organizations spreading holiday cheer and helping those less fortunate this time of year, but the hosts of today’s “helping the homeless” event may surprise you. The Memphis Motorcycle Club says they make charity and giving back a priority every year, but with the COVID pandemic presenting new challenges in caring for the homeless, they scaled up this Christmas. “This is the first time all together as a whole that we’ve ever united as one, to pull off an event of this magnitude,” Durrell Mackey, the Chairman of the Memphis Motorcycle Club, said. The club handed out food, gift bags and hygiene products. But they also gave away vouchers for a week’s stay at the Memphis Union Mission. In the middle of winter, with below freezing temperatures, that kind of gift can end up saving a life. “I always think about the less fortunate. The people that don’t have families to go home to, or a warm meal, or a place to stay. So, today we’re here to make a difference,” Mackey said. And they did make a difference, making this year’s Christmas a little merrier for dozens of people who were grateful for the helping hand. “I’m just blessed to be able to receive some type of donation to help me get into a room,” Teresa said. “If I hadn’t came out here, I probably wouldn’t have nothing. I thank God for being here, for them helping me out,” Libby said. If you’re interested in helping the memphis union mission, click here.

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