Motorcycle club to host 100-mile pledge ride

Off the Wire
News
Press Release
Bikers Against Child Abuse

TWENTYNINE PALMS - The Inland Empire chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse announces the newest must-do event for April 2010 - a 100-mile pledge ride to help victims of child abuse.

The event will start at Buckles and Belts motorcycle parts and accessories shop in Calimesa, Calif., at 8 a.m., with a ride through the Inland Empire, and will end at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown. Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased the morning of the event during registration at Buckles & Belts. Tickets will also be available at the door at Pappy and Harriet’s after 1 p.m. The $25 donation will include a meal, entry in the raffle and two live bands for entertainment.

All proceeds from the event will go to provide therapy funding for children needing assistance, and funding for provisions to provide support and empowerment.

Bikers Against Child Abuse exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children by empowering them so they do not feel afraid of the world in which they live. The BACA IE area includes and has members from Riverside, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, and the Morongo Basin.

BACA members are subject to an extensive background check, have ridden with the chapter for at least a year, and when selected as a child contact, receive special care instructions from a licensed mental health professional.

How BACA works is the child is given the names and phone numbers of two BACA members residing geographically closest to them, who then become the child’s primary contact person(s). Anytime the child feels scared and feels the need for the presence of his new BACA family, the child may call upon these bikers to go to the child’s house, and provide the necessary reassurance to feel safe and protected.

A recognized, authorized agency with which an abused child has had contact determines if child is still frightened by his or her environment. The agency contacts BACA, or refers the individual to contact our BACA child liaison. The liaison validates that authorities have been contacted, and the case is being processed within the system. The liaison contacts the family and the entire BACA chapter rides to meet the child. These initial visits generally last about a half an hour, and the child is given a BACA vest, bumper stickers, and other gifts that are generally donated by the public. The vest is meant to be a symbol to the children that they are not alone.

BACA members and supporters also support the children by providing escorts for them if they feel scared in their neighborhoods, riding by their homes on a regular basis, supporting the children at court and parole hearings, attending their interviews, and staying with the children if they are alone and frightened. The BACA members never go to the child’s house alone, and never without the knowledge or permission of the parents.

For more information on the event or the organization, or for anyone who wishes to contribute a pledge, call 951-333-0282 or send an e-mail to baca_ie@yahoo.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

original article