OFF THE WIRE
BY: Rodika Tollefson
Source: kitsapsun.com
When people encounter a group of bikers sitting in a bar — dressed in black leathers and with tattoos showing on muscled arms, maybe laughing and having a good time — instincts may lead them to making a beeline for the other side of the room.
That may be the first reaction when wandering into a meeting of Bikers Fighting Cancer. But it doesn’t take long for the intimidation to melt away, and by the time a stranger leaves this group, that person leaves with a hug. Many hugs.
“A lot of people think we’re rough bikers, but if they came and talked to us, they would understand we’re unique in the motorcycle world,” says Patrick “Chemo” Healy, founder and president of the national nonprofit club.
The uniqueness comes from a bond that goes beyond their obvious passion for motorcycles. The group’s main mission is to help children with cancer and their families — and in the process to take care of each other as well.
Each BFC chapter “adopts” families who have a child fighting cancer and raises money to help those families in any way it can. About 90 percent of the fundraising efforts go toward those sponsorships, with money being used for gas and food cards, utility bills, transportation for out-of-state treatment trips and other needs.
“We find out what they need, so the money goes to the right thing,” says Sarah Healy, Patrick’s wife. The families are prescreened and receive a house visit prior to being adopted, and the club tries to fill in the gaps not covered by other organizations.
Sometimes, that means offering moral support and a listening ear, or visiting with the family in the hospital prior to surgery. Some members, like Healy, are cancer survivors themselves and have experienced the impact of cancer on the family firsthand.
“If families need help mowing the lawn or fixing a vehicle, we can do that,” says Daniel McCraw, secretary or the Hood Canal BFC chapter. McCraw, who works in the paint department at McLendon Hardware in Belfair, would even paint a mural in the child’s bedroom — and other club members equally share their talents.
Once a child is adopted, the family receives support continuously. “It’s for life. Even if they beat cancer, they become one of us. It’s family,” Healy says.
‘One of Us’
Bikers Fighting Cancer was born while Healy was undergoing chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He met 11-year-old Ray, who battled a brain tumor. Ray’s dream was to be in a motorcycle club, and the two decided it was as good a time as any to start one.
The boy designed the club’s logo depicting the Grim Reaper, and the motto, “Never give up.” Healy’s original idea was to help Ray and his family, and he organized benefits for them.
In 2004, Healy (who was born and raised in Seattle) moved to Tacoma from Southern California. “I was supposed to die,” he says. Instead, he got better. But he lost his young friend, who died at age 12.
True to Ray’s motto to never give up, Healy renewed his efforts to help kids with cancer. Living in Bellingham by then, he started the North Sound Chapter of Bikers Fighting Cancer — and a real 501(c)3 organization was born.
Bikers Fighting Cancer now has seven chapters on the West Coast (six in Washington state), each adopting its own families and raising funds for different groups through events like poker runs.
The Hood Canal chapter came to life after the Healys arrived at Mason Lake earlier this year. The couple sold their home, moved into a Greyhound bus converted to a motor home, and took a job as caretakers at the marina. They met several other bikers interested in the cause, and soon the chapter grew to a dozen or more official members.
Not all meet that “rough on the outside” biker image — in fact, some don’t wear leathers, let alone tattoos. Three are women. The club welcomes all adults, Harley owners or otherwise, biker or not, as long as their hearts are “in the right place.” Those who don’t ride can provide support in many other ways at events.
New members start on a 90-day trial basis, to make sure they’re a right match to the organization — think of it as being on a three-month probation while starting a new job. The members meet informally every Tuesday at JR’s Hideaway in Belfair to discuss ideas and socialize, and there are monthly formal meetings.
“We not only take care of kids, but we also take care of each other,” Healy says.
The Hood Canal chapter has members from all around Mason County and Kitsap and as far as Tacoma, and currently has one adopted child, a Federal Way girl who has brain stem cancer. The goal, Healy says, is to make this the most productive chapter in the state, with most members and resources, growing — slowly — to help at least four or five kids.
The families come to the organization through word of mouth and by referrals and try to help any new qualified family. “That’s what’s hard for me as president, I can’t say no,” Healy says. “I can’t turn anybody down. We’ll figure out how to do it.”
Funding comes largely from fundraisers such as poker runs and bike washes, donations, BFC merchandise sales and member dues. BFC also received a $10,000 grant from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. Locally, many businesses are supporting the cause, including JR’s and McLendon Hardware (which has donated funds, bike wash kits and other things).
JR’s Hideaway frequently hosts motorcycle-focused fundraising events. When BFC recently organized a poker run for Harmony Hill Cancer Retreat Center, JR’s donated part of the proceeds from its beer garden there to the cause.
“Patrick and Sarah have a huge heart,” says Tena Blake, bar manager at JR’s. “They do so much for the kids.”
While Healy is involved with all the chapters as the national president, he says the Hood Canal one is special to him. “This chapter was founded like the organization — with no agenda, with people who join for the right reason,” he says. “We treat each other like family, we’re brothers and sisters.”
The Healys’ Mason Lake caretaker job is over and the couple is moving to California for a few months, but they plan to be back next year. “It’s a beautiful area and the chapter is wonderful,” Healy says. “Mason County has been so accepting and we’ve made so many friends.”
In the meantime, the chapter plans other events and fundraisers all year long, including comedy and bowling nights and a holiday giving tree. Healy’s long-term vision is to have chapters of Bikers Fighting Cancer throughout the United States. “The vision is to see more chapters, with the sole purpose of seeing Ray’s dream through,” he says, “to be a bike club to help kids.”
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/sep/15/softer-side-biker-image/#ixzz0zeJto95r
