Bikers give back
Leather-clad men and women rumbled into Imperial Valley towns Friday to give out food packages and provide a little cushion for area families as the Top Hatters Motorcycle Club held its third annual Needy Children’s Support Run.
About 80 Top Hatters members helped distribute food to more than 100 families in Calipatria, Niland and Bombay Beach, club public relations officer Chris Hawkins said.
“It’s giving back to the community, because we see that there’s a lot of economic problems,” club president Armando Lopez said. “We also do it so the public can recognize that not all bikers are misfits. We’re all working-class people.”Families excitedly lined up in Calipatria for the food run’s first stop. Calipatria resident Nicole Morris grinned ear to ear as she heard the motorcycles getting closer.
“It’s a blast for me. Tell them to rock the asphalt for us. I love it,” she said as the motorcycles rolled up.
With Calipatria Unified School District’s help, the club sent letters letting families know they were selected to receive the packages of dry, canned and fresh food.
“This makes a very big difference. You guys always seem to come at the right time,” Morris told Club members. “It came at a time we need. The economy sucks, and we need this. Plus the bikes are cool.”
Morris’ 12-year-old daughter, Kayla, shyly thanked the club members as the family received its food package.
The Top Hatters Motorcycle Club was established in 1947, and there are five chapters in the state. Some members rode more than 800 miles to help distribute the food Friday.
The club hosts four to five major fundraisers a year and hopes to expand the food run to Westmorland next year, Hawkins said.
Staff Writer Chelcey Adami can be reached at 760-337-3452 or cadami©ivpressonline.com
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