As an avid rider and Founder of BikerDown, a non-profit that supports motorcycle riders who have been injured, May: Motorcycle Awareness Month is a big deal to me. Each year the number of deaths for riders on Colorado roads continues to grow, and we must do everything we can to stop – and reverse – that trend!
Look Twice, Save A Life Ride
On May 12th, BikerDown hosted its 5th annual Look Twice, Save a Life Ride. As is often the case in May, Mother Nature threatened us throughout the morning with cold and drizzling rain. Those who were dedicated enough to show up anyway were rewarded with sunshine and warmth breaking through in time for opening remarks and the ride itself. We met at Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson and ended at Dirty Dog Roadhouse.
Guest Speakers
Susan Dane of Coloradans Organized for Responsible Driving (CORD) was present and spoke to the crowd about the group’s activities. CORD was one of the organizations that spearheaded the successful increase of fines for texting and driving from only $50 to $300 plus 4 points off licenses. In 2019, they will try again to pass the hands-free driving bill that failed earlier this year. In her own words, “We’re not done and we’re not going away. We want the roads to be safer for everyone.”
Next up were Dennis Tye and Kermit DeJonge. Both had received help from BikerDown, and they shared their experiences after being injured in a motorcycle accident. Their emotional stories are told with humor and grace, but, make no mistake, they are vital for our riding community to see and hear. We are grateful these men are still with us and are so willing to help other riders. Randy Savely from the Randy’s Run for Fallen Riders also spoke about increasing riding insurance coverage to include uninsured and underinsured and how he was affected in his accident when the driver had only the basic minimum coverages.
Special Thanks
For the fourth year in a row, Scott O’Sullivan was our Look Twice, Save A Life Ride sponsor. Because of his generous support in purchasing t-shirts, promotional advertising, and miscellaneous support as needed, BikerDown is able to keep 100% of the registration dollars, donations and t-shirt orders for our Accident Fund.
Special thanks to Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson, who never fails to help BikerDown when needed. Each year, they let our group converge at their dealership and we cannot express our thanks enough that they open their doors and hearts to us.
Finally, thank you Dirty Dogs Roadhouse for hosting our event and for being a new supporter of BikerDown and Colorado Rider News. This new and fast-growing biker hot spot never forgets the humanitarian side of giving to this community. Thank you, Rob and Mark, for bringing back old school values, and a place any rider can call HOME.
By the Numbers
All in all, we had 100 riders in attendance and 80 t-shirt pre-orders from all over the country. Many people outside of Colorado wanted to support BikerDown because they lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident. Thank you!
We are grateful to report that because of our sponsor’s support and the support of all the riders who came on May 12th, we were able to add $5,000 to the BikerDown Accident Fund!!!
