Bikers 'wild' about helping others

Off the Wire
General News

By TONY Di DOMIZIO
For The Times Herald

LANSDALE — They are born to be wild — but they exist to be advocates of child and domestic abuse victims.

For the past 23 years, Bikers Against Child Abuse of Montgomery County has promoted awareness and prevention of child abuse and worked with victims and their families in Montgomery County.

This includes attending hearings in child abuse or domestic abuse cases, usually by request of the victim’s family, and raising funds for various charities in the region.

“I think the main thing is putting the word out that we are an organization that supports the victim,” said Barbara “Stitch” Jansons, treasurer for BACA Montgomery County.

BACA will bring awareness to the community Saturday at its fourth Community Awareness Day, held this year at the North Penn Valley Boys and Girls Club on Susquehanna Avenue, Lansdale, from noon to 4 p.m.

There will be information on county resources for child and domestic abuse, dance team demos, face-painting, motorcycles and a donation bin for the victims of the East Fourth Street fire.

Kona Ice is donating free ice cream, and Hatfield Quality Meats, Wawa, Herr’s, Martin’s and Lansdale Ice all donated to the event.

There will also be raffles and door prizes donated by local businesses, including a $600 value comprehensive financial plan by Harvest Financial Planners in Lansdale, a free sitting with photographer Gina Meyers in Perkasie, tickets to Sesame Place, Dutch Wonderland and a Phillies game, gift cards, and toys by K’NEX.

“We wanted to look for a place where we could draw kids into a safe environment,” said Larry “Fish” O’Toole, public relations officer for BACA of Montgomery County.

BACA makes its presence known at various preliminary hearings in the county at the district and county level to show victims they are there for support.

“We give them support. It’s silent protest,” said O’Toole. “We don’t say or speak to the defendant at all, and as far as the victims, we don’t give them legal advice. We just explain how the system works sometimes, as they get frustrated with the slowness or there’s questions that need to be asked. Since we’ve been there, we’ve given them a little insight on how it works.”

BACA does not attend hearings to intimidate the accused.

“We don’t assume that they are guilty; we are there just like anybody in the public,” O’Toole said. “We are there to support the victim and help them go through this.”

Jansons said bikers do have a distinctive look to them, but they make no contact with the alleged perpetrator.

“If the families so choose, we attend hearings to support them,” she said. “We find out about hearings by word of mouth and we constantly check the county databases. We are very well accepted by most of the district judges in Montgomery County, and we are supported by the district attorney’s office, the county detectives and county agencies.”

O’Toole said the group has a court reporter that keeps track of preliminary hearings.

“We post them on our site so all members know when they are,” he said. “People take off work, or leave work early, or they have off and go to the hearings.”

He said the presence of BACA at the hearings, in a way, acts as a deterrent for people to not commit such crimes.

“Not a whole lot of people like to talk about child abuse,” Jansons said, “but unfortunately it is a needed cause.”

Aside from attending hearings for support, BACA also finds itself raising money for and supporting charities.

The group works with Montgomery County Office of Children and Youth’s foster division to sponsor 50 youths and treat them to a day at Freddy Hill Farms Fall Fest.

All members must pass a criminal history and child abuse check, O’Toole said.

Last month, Laurel House contacted BACA for help with a transition house in Norristown for victims of abuse. There was no furniture in the house, so BACA put the word out and got all three floors furnished top to bottom.

“Now, they can put it to use and get families in there that are trying to get their lives back in order,” Jansons said.

BACA recently held a diaper drive for foster children, collecting diapers, wipes, bottles and formula.

“It was a tremendous success,” Jansons said.

For the second year in a row, BACA has sponsored a Lansdale Little League team called Lugnuts.”

“Last year they were undefeated, and we threw them a big pizza party at the last game,” she said.

BACA of Montgomery County is a nonprofit, but its members cannot join other motorcycle clubs in the area, and vice versa. That’s the rule, Jansons said.

It is part of the Inter-club, which is a coalition of all local motorcycle organizations supporting each other. Representatives attend club meetings to inform one another of events so one isn’t overlapping another. Bikers can end up going to three different events in one day.

O’Toole said there’s about 50 to 60 events a year in the Inter-club.

“We are all supporting each other,” he said.

The club is in the midst of collecting money, gift cards and toys for the victims of the East Fourth Street fire.

“Bikers do a lot of good things, like collecting money for the families of the fire and getting toys for kids through Toys For Tots,” Jansons said. “Whenever we hear of a need, and it’s something we feel we can help with, we’ll jump on it.”

BACA raised about $200 for the victims at Lansdale’s inaugural First Fridays this month.

“We’re working on pulling in the community,” O’Toole said.

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