OFF THE WIRE
Journal photo by Chris Jackson
Members of the newly formed Defenders MC are Ron Bleigh, lieutenant at arms, from left, John DeRito, president, and Mike McBrearty, vice president.
Mountaineer chapter of Defenders reaches out to members
MARTINSBURG - A new motorcycle club is forming in the area that is law-enforcement based, John DeRito, president of the Defenders MC West Virginia Mountaineer chapter, said in a recent telephone interview.
"It's for police officers, corrections officers, military police and like-minded citizens," he explained. "We also open our membership to emergency services personnel. Membership is open to active and retired officers."
The Mountaineer chapter's official debut is scheduled for June 18 in Martinsburg.
Private citizens can join, also, DeRito said, but each chapter must maintain 70 percent membership of law-enforcement professionals.
"We're more open to the public - like-minded citizens who share our values," he said.
While the national charter says the Defenders MC is a social club for men, there also is a "ladies auxiliary" made up of members' wives and girlfriends.
This is the first chapter in West Virginia, DeRito said, although members come from throughout the region. The local chapter falls under the umbrella of the national organization's nonprofit 501(c)3 status.
The 15 current members come from the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department, Martinsburg Police Department, Hagerstown Police Department, National Guard and other departments, he said.
New members must be sponsored by a current member and the chapter does a background check on prospective members, DeRito added.
Founded in June 2004, the nonprofit organization has 36 chapters in 18 states from Florida to Maine to Colorado, according to the national club's website. Members must obey a strict code of conduct and cannot associate with so-called "1 percent" groups or A.B.A.T.E., a group opposed to helmet laws, according to its bylaws.
Defenders MC is all about obeying the law and the rules of the road.
"We are community-based," he said. "We want to set up a fund for fallen or injured officers - raise money for officers who have been hurt - and for local kids."
The Mountaineer Chapter plans fundraisers throughout the year, such as poker runs, hog roasts and possibly a bonanza, DeRito said. The club plans to help with the annual Kids for Christmas charity and other worthwhile funds, he added.
The chapter also will help at the West Virginia Rumble in the Valley motorcycle rally planned for Berkeley County in late June.
DeRito, who lives in Bunker Hill and works at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center in Winchester, has been employed in corrections for 22 years, having worked in Maryland and West Virginia, also, he said.
He and other riders got interested in the Defenders MC after leaving another law-enforcement oriented club.
"We wanted to get back together and ride and raise money for our fellow officers," DeRito said.
- Staff writer John McVey can be reached at 304-263-3381, ext. 128, or jmcvey©journal-news.net
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