Wheels for Our Wounded - Inaugural Event a Huge Success

I was very gratified on May 30th that we had 120 riders out for our First Wheels for Our Wounded event. We worked with as many of the other events that were going on in the region as we could to support them by having our run go to them.

We stopped in at Edmonton Harley-Davidson and took in the sidewalk sale, then we went to the
Valour Place  & the MattRad Bottle Drive which the CAV and the Veterans MC both support heavily.

Our final stop was the Royal Canadian Legion Cenotaph in Devon, because well, Kate Mac and her team have had phenomenal support from the Legions in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Our group, the VIP pack, also went to the MFRC (Military Family Resource Centre) so Tyler, Kate's 11 year old son could see some of his old neighbours and talk to other kids living with a parent who has PTSD.

Gunny and Paula at the sidewalk sale at Harley-Davidson of Edmonton

The day started out overcast and windy, but the sun did eventually come out and the smiles on everyone's faces said it all.

Kate, Tyler, Gunny, Rebecca and Paula all had seats with local riders and I have to tell you how excited and happy they all were to get in some wind therapy.

Kate riding with Pigg from Rose City Tire in Camrose
No words needed here - the smiles say it all.

Kate's son Tyler got to ride on this gorgeous Indian

L to R Gunny, Paula, Emily & Rebecca on their respective rides

The VIP pack heading out

After the ride, everyone converged back at Blackjacks Roadhouse in Nisku to get their final poker run hand card, partake in the BBQ, bid in the silent auction, eat some cake and listen to Tim Isberg and JP Cormier sing.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house as JP sang "Hometown Battlefield" and then
later "The Long Way Home".

Razor from Biker Radio did the Emcee work for us and did a fabulous job.

Tim Isberg

JP Cormier

Kate with fellow 2 CAV member Bucky Buchanan from Moncton NB in front of the SOT Truck

I can't say enough about Blackjack's Roadhouse & Games Room in Nisku and their staff - not only is the venue ideally located, close to gas and accommodations/camping but the food and service are top drawer. The staff have a friendly CAN DO attitude and the management even more so!  If you are looking for the perfect venue for an event - contact Krysta or Clarence at Blackjack's Roadhouse and & Games Room in Nisku!

It was a most amazing day, not to say it didn't have some hiccups and some frustrations.

Our registration forms were misplaced and took some time to find, but they were found and registrations were only 25 minutes late getting started.

I was frustrated by the Jeep Club that was a no show and a couple of RC's that has said they were bringing about 50 riders each, we went and prepared for the additional crowd which kicked us in the arse, but none the less - 120 bikes is a great turn out for ANY POKER RUN and I am grateful to all who showed up.

Les Shandruk of the Northern Gateway Motorcycle Association in Slave Lake was the High Pledge Earner.

Kate speaking with Les Shandruk of the Northern Gateway Motorcycle Association from Slave Lake

Kate and the team were presented with Pink NGMA Shirts

After the dust settled and all of the bills are paid we raised/donated $4008 to The Long Way Home (through 50/50's pledges, poker run registrations etc) and raised $1,600 for the motorcycle we intend to donate in July.

This photo from Cori at Steel Horses Photography,
all other photos from Sophie Pyne

It's a long ways from the $9999 + Shipping that we need, BUT....

The good news is that we have a TON of challenge coins, pins, patches & medallions to sell to get there!

You can purchase Wheels for Our Wounded Products at: http://www.wheelsforourwounded.ca/shop.html

IMPORTANT:

All of the monies raised will be going to purchase that 750 Street Harley-Davidson motorcycle to present to a veteran who would benefit from having wind therapy. The motorcycle will be presented at the end of July.  Further, if we raise enough, we have an RCMP officer in BC and and EMT in PEI we have on the list to be helped!  The EMT needs a hack for his service dog and the RCMP officer deserves, like our veteran, to be back on a motorcycle!

Our first sister event takes place in August in PEI!
Visit:  Wheels for Our Wounded PEI on Facebook

PLEASE consider helping us by purchasing some swag today and help us help three deserving people get some wind therapy!

I want to thank Sophie Pyne, Kate's Official photographer for the photos you see here and to Cori from Steel Horses Photography in Stony Plain for the photos she took which you can see here at:
Belt Drive Betty's Profile Page on www.beltdrivebetty.com

I want to thank all of our sponsors and volunteers for an amazing show of support - we couldn't have done it without you!

If you are blessed enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider





Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Internet Shopping - The Pro's the Con's and the Attitudes

So my article yesterday stuck a nerve with a ton of people - what a polarizing thing internet shopping has become!

This is an addendum to yesterdays post:
The problem with the way some small business owners think
I want to ensure the record is set straight here - I HAVE NOT PURCHASED NEW TIRES AS OF YET.

I want to clarify a few things about my circumstances and the way I feel about the mentality of some small business owners...

My husband is a mechanic, so other than warranty work under my extended warranty, he takes care of everything else, except my tires. He goes by the manual to ensure that my ride is safe for me and he's an excellent mechanic who owns tens of thousands of dollars worth of tools.

If I am home when I am thinking of changing tires, hubby pulls them off the bike for me and I take the tires and rims in for install and balancing. Generally costs me $65 per tire.

If I am on a long haul, or riding in the Yukon where tires get chewed up faster than greased lightning, I get my work done at Eyecandy Customs in Smithers, and I book the appointment in advance, because I KNOW I am going to need a tire.

When I rode across Canada the last time, two years ago, I asked all the locals in New Brunswick, in advance of riding into their region where the best place to get tires was and got told G. Bourque, so I booked my appointment there.

The price differences between Smithers and Moncton/Dieppe were amazingly small.

When Sam changed the back tire on my old Street Glide for me, the bill was around $285 for the tire portion. I had also booked my service with him and he uncovered a few things that riding the Top of the World highway did to my bike.  His service was above and beyond, his prices were fair and he built value in his shop through his rapport and awesome service.

When I was in Moncton, same thing, G, Bourque installed 2 tires for around $440 + taxes.
Service was awesome, fast and friendly.  They built the value in their shop by treating me fairly and taking care of me and my ride.

My biggest beef with shops like the one I called here in Alberta (one of many), was that this shop owner RESENTED me price shopping, yet he never built any value in his services or shop to support me paying an extra $200 to him for the tires.

You see had he said, "Well suggested retail is $635 for the two, but I can give them to you a little closer to the price you found on line if you are also getting them installed here.  Would you be bringing just the rims to install on or do you want us to remove the tires and do the install and balance and reinstall the rims?

But no, instead of starting a dialogue that would have me see value in his business, he chose to BITCH ME OUT.

He accused me of buying off the internet and not understanding that by doing so, small repair shops like his wouldn't be around....

Well, to my way of thinking, it's his attitude towards his own customer and their need to make their dollar stretch farther that is the issue.

You see, he was, in my opinion looking at his situation as a shop owner in a very narrow minded way.

What is better? To make a bit less profit, but still a profit, or to have a customer walk away never spending a dime with you?

What is better? Take a little less profit now but earn other business from said customer and have the potential for referrals?

What is better? Building the value the customer perceives they are getting from your shop even when your rates are higher than others, or making a customer feel so insulted and chastised that they take their money and run as hard and fast in the opposite direction as they can?

Perhaps internet shopping does take a bit out of your bottom line, but from your customers perspective, you need to realize that while wages have stagnated for many, the costs for gas, electricity, phones, cable, property taxes, groceries etc have all gone up and those necessities and small luxuries in life tend to be a pretty big priority for most.

Everyone is reaching into the consumers pocket book deeper and deeper leaving less and less for them to spend on other luxuries.

If I bought my tires from a buddy who runs a tire shop but can't install my tires for me, do I deserve to be bitch slapped by the motorcycle repair shop that I ask to install them?  If someone buys them for me for a birthday present, and I have no idea where they came from as far as purchase, do I deserve to get bitch slapped by the repair shop I ask to install them?

If I can save $200, but still add to your bottom line through install fees, I then have money that I can spend at a mom and pop coffee shop, at a tattoo shop or a paint shop or a leather goods retailer...If I give one shop the lion's share of my disposable income, then I have little or none to spend elsewhere.

Treating a customer fairly, building value in the services you offer, building trust and rapport with your customer, those are the things that ALL businesses need to do to be successful in my humble opinion.

There are many ways to look at any situation in business - there are opportunities everywhere, BITCHING potential customers out over price shopping and ASKING why your prices are so much higher is NOT creating opportunity for your business, it is slamming the door on opportunity - HARD.

EMS - Essential Motorcycle Services in Vancouver operates a quick lube and light repair service.

EMS in Vancouver found an opportunity and makes internet customers his target market!

They install bulbs, do oil and fluid changes, install belts, bolt on accessories and tires.

The only things they stock are filters and fluids. If you want a new air breather - they will assist you with using parts books, hand you a phone and you order and pay for the parts to be delivered to the shop.

They want NO PART of trying to carry inventory and manage it or pay for the space that requires.  If you buy the wrong shit - you can't bitch at them because YOU brought the parts in.
They will help you all they can, but they take no crap over your provided parts.  Fair enough!

Businesses that treat customers fairly and offer a measure of customer service without breaking the bank are the ones that I prefer to deal with.  I AM NOT A STUPID CONSUMER - I know every business needs to have a profit margin to be successful and grow BUT I WILL NOT deal with a shop that bitches me out and makes me feel like protecting MY bottom line as a consumer is the wrong thing to do.

And that's my thoughts on this topic - what are yours?

I love the dialogue that's been happening on Facebook!

If you are blessed to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider


Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

The problem with the way some small business owners think

I talk to a lot of small business owners in the course of a day.

I am always amazed by those conversations, some in a good way and others in a way that gives me pause for thought.

Recently I phoned an Alberta based motorcycle repair shop to find out the price of a front and back tire for my bike - installed and out the door. I wanted the Michelin Commander II Tires.

When I was told the price, I almost fell on the floor.

$635 before install and tax.  I was offered a 10% discount cause I am such a nice person, making the price for just the two tires about $570+ tax.

I did not appreciate that pricing at all.

So I went snooping and found that I could get two tires, delivered to my door - the exact same Michelin Commander II tires that I had asked for a quote on, in Canadian funds for $391.77

So I called the shop back and got told that they do not appreciate installing something that didn't come from their shop and that if consumers like me keep shopping on the internet there would be no repair shops left to work on their motorcycle.

Now I understand that internet shopping has taken the retail sector back a bit, but can you really truly blame the consumer who is looking to make their money work harder for them?

If that online retailer can offer the exact same products, not seconds or thirds, but top brand name products for 35% - 40% cheaper than you can, you are buying from the wrong distributor.

These people still have a warehouse to stock, they have employees, they pay insurances and taxes...so why are some brick and mortar stores so offended when they are asked to install a product a customer purchased elsewhere?

You are still making the labour rate, which at many shops is upwards of $140 an hour.

I was taken aback by this shop owners attitude and demeanour and how it changed the minute I asked how come his price for tires was so high.

I work hard to see all sides of any equation in any situation I wrote about, but seriously, I am struggling with this one.

Some parts I can see being a pain when they are purchased on line.
They might be 2nd's or 3rd's and not fit well or do the job right, I get that.  Or the consumer had no idea what they were buying...and then the consumer gets frustrated - I understand those are challenging issues...

But we are talking tires here. BRAND NAMED TIRES.

There are certain things I would never buy one line, and what small amount of money I have to spend on products, I do my best to use to purchase locally, but seriously...

Why would I pay you, Mr. Motorcycle Repair guy, 40% more for the exact same tires? Is is because you are such a nice guy that you deserve to make $200 on the sale more than the other retailer?
And don't give me the BS about overhead.  As I said, these people pay employees, have insurance and building expenses and all that goes along with running a business.  So what is the real reason that I should give you an extra $200 for?

If I can accomplish my mission as a customer to have 2 new tires put on my motorcycle for $600 as opposed to close to $800 - why shouldn't I?

And what a great marketing tactic....

Why would you chew a person an new arse over thinking of purchasing brand named tires on the internet?

Why is is a shameful thing for a customer to want or need to get the most for their hard earned dollar?

If you don't have to stock them, have them taking up space, costing you shipping fees and staff time to unpack and inventory them, why would that be a thorn in your side?

Can you really blame your customer for wanting to keep some money in their pocket to ride with?

What are your thoughts on this topic? I deeply, really want to know how you would react to being lectured about supporting small business by a man who wants you to pay 35% - 40% more for the exact same quality of product, the same brand name?  5% more, maybe 10% more but 40%?

Talk to me....

Have a great day and if you are blessed to be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

READ THE FOLLOW UP ARTICLE TO THIS ONE: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2015/06/internet-shopping-pros-cons-and.html

Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Your Invitation....

Our event, Wheels for Our Wounded takes place at Blackjack's Roadhouse in Nisku AB, this weekend - Saturday May 30th and if you live within a day's ride, you are INVITED....

Wheels for Our Wounded is all about helping veterans, soldiers and first responders who need help to have a vehicle modified to accommodate their new normal, be it putting a side car on a motorcycle so that a service dog can go with that person, all the way to buying or assisting with modifying a vehicle to make it wheelchair accessible.

The Federal and Provincial governments look at vehicles as a luxury. If you can't take public transit, then you need a prescription to get help and even then, the help offered to make a vehicle wheelchair accessible is only $5K from the Federal Government.

There is NO help to covert a motorcycle to accommodate a side car or  make it into a trike.

You and I, we who ride, know that a motorcycle or trike can be a sanity line for many. Just look how many veterans, solders and first responders ride - they will all tell you that wind therapy is a valid therapy - yet no one in "power" sees it.

We also know that wheels mean a certain freedom and independence.

Our first recipient for this very special, newly founded event is a veteran.  This veteran will get their motorcycle in BC during Wounded Warriors Weekend Week. This veteran by all accounts, is one of the most giving and compassionate people out there and would never ask for help for themselves.

It's hard to raise funds for an anonymous face....it's hard for people to wrap their head around supporting someone who is incognito but I promise you this much, when this veteran gets their new wheels, you are going to see someone with a grin from ear to ear who is then going to be pissed because "I don't need your charity" is this person's mindset.
And then that grin will return.

You will get to "MEET" this veteran through photos and videos of them getting their bike - I PROMISE.


We need to keep this person anonymous until they get their bike, we have to for their sake. If they found out what we were doing for them, well let's just say pride goeth before a fall and so, until its a done deal, we are keeping a lid on the recipient's name.

I promised that the help I got last year from this community, I would find a way to pay forward ten fold....and because of the support of great volunteers and supporters the intent now is to pay that kindness, that help forward a hundred fold.

Rob Truscott, JM McKinney, Les Shandruk and the gang from the Northern Gateway Motorcycle Association, 1st, 2nd, 3rd C.A.V. and C.A.V. National, Cindy Irvine, Rob Himmelspach, Blackjack's Roadhouse, Edmonton Harley-Davidson, Mountainview Harley-Davidson, JP Cormier and Tim Isberg, Cori from Steel Horses Photography, IOMC, RCL Legion Riders, all of the volunteers who will be running booths and helping with registrations etc,  (some 70 of them), the 40 or so sponsors we have, the team at Belt Drive Betty Media, Pat Varga, Cindy Murphy, all of these good people and SOOOO many more are the reason I/WE can host this event - without the aforementioned team  - I AM all but powerless....but as a community we are SOOOO powerful and everyone has worked so hard to get us here...

Our special guest is Kate MacEachern, the gal who has been walking with a 45 lbs rucksack on her back to create awareness of PTSD, to create discussion, healing and raise funds for service dogs and Wounded Warriors Weekend...

As a team, our intent is to show this woman the best in hospitality, generosity and compassion and create the best fund and awareness raising opportunity that we can.

We intend to give her voice the audience it deserves, because she speaks for so many who can't speak for themselves...

Folks, on Saturday, she and the NASH Project will be 30 days into their journey of healing! They still have many miles to traverse - let's give them the support and send off they need to keep putting one boot, one hoof infant of the other.

PLEASE, join us, RAIN OR SHINE - we won't make fun of you for showing up in a cage (much)...we NEED your support, so we can support those who need it.

It costs on average, $5,000 to put a service dog into the care and control of a soldier, veteran or first responder that needs one.

It's going to cost $12,000 to give a veteran their sanity line back in the way of a motorcycle...

Without YOU - all of the work of our volunteers, all of the support of our sponsors, will be for naught.  So PLEASE, come out, meet our team, ride/drive the poker run route, come eat some BBQ, listen to some great tunes , see what the vendors offer and most of all support those who rush in when everyone pulls back...

Fire Fighters in Grande Prairie doing their job last weekend

Our Fire Fighters (God Love them, the wildfire situation is desperate), our EMS who deal with the trauma and aftermath of some of the most horrific events you can imagine, the same for the police services, I may not always like some of their members, damned they do a job I couldn't...

Our soldiers and veterans - their jobs are critical to our well being as a nation...

Your support means everything and not just to us, the Wheels for Our Wounded team, but to Kate Mac & The Long Way Home Team, the NASH Project , Alpha K9, Paws Fur Thought, Valour Place & the Mattradd fundraiser as well as Wounded Warriors Weekend - in all your donations, your participation in the poker run, the silent auctions and 50/50 draws, the pledge challenge - will be helping 7 organizations provide outreach.

Visit www.wheelsforourwounded.ca  visit the sponsors page, the supporters page, read about Kate Mac and TLWH 2015, the NASH Project, Wounded Warriors Weekend...and then please, be motivated enough that no matter WHAT MOTHER NATURE throws our way this weekend...please come out.

On Sunday May 31st join us for a Bikers Breakfast at Blackjacks from 8am to 9:30 AM and help us send Kate of in Grande style...she will leave while we are eating breakfast and we will then catch up to her at the Royal Canadian Legion in Leduc where we will share one final hug, one final thank you and send her and the NASH Project on their way to Chilliwak - over the Coquihalla...for Kate and the Trans Canada trail for the horse team.

Our soldiers, our veterans and our first responders don't back out of doing their jobs if it rains, snows, hails, floods...please don't let them down if Mother Nature decides to be a bag...

DRIVE, RIDE or DOG SLED in - but please, come out and support these important causes...

Thanks folks and if you are blessed to be riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Mongols MC Trademark Case & Waco - a conspiracy theory

June 2nd, 2015 will be the beginning of the end for motorcycle clubs in the US of A if the ATF and other police services along with Federal prosecutors have their way.

The Mongols MC have been fighting with the feds over their collective association membership mark since 2008.

At a recent fundraiser held by the Mongols MC in South Gate California (the fundraiser was unrelated to the collective membership mark case), a woman who was filming the police, who were reportedly stopping and detaining people attending the Mongols MC fundraiser, had her camera taken out of her hands and destroyed.

Watch the videos, you will see why the police destroyed the camera.
It would appear that they did not want evidence of what they were doing to by passers recorded.

I am not generally one for conspiracy theories, however the shooting in Waco and the fact that so much of the "evidence" is surrounded by controversy got me to thinking about some of the recent articles I have read about judges in the US and their decisions that seem to contravene the US's Constitution.

I am now wondering how much the court battle between the Feds and the Mongols MC over their collective membership mark/trademark has to do with the shooting in Waco Texas...or the decision over the bar brawl at the Lounge Lizard in near Wonder Lake Illinois...

You see, the police services and federal prosecutors in the US would have one believe that if you take the patch away from motorcycle clubs, you take away their power.

In fact in the state of Illinois,  judge Sharon Prather recently decided that members of the Outlaws MC would not be getting their cuts back after a bar brawl:"A McHenry County judge ruled Friday that the items won't be returned because the motorcycle club is a "street gang" and that the vests are "contraband" worn "to facilitate street gang activity." 
Read the Chicago Tribune Article HERE

The judge on the bench for the Mongols court case over their patch (collective association membership mark) Otis Wright II is clearly prejudiced against the Mongols MC as can be seen in his statements: 
“This is a criminal enterprise, as evidenced by the admission of same by no fewer than 40 people who appeared before me,” Wright said at an October 2013 hearing, a transcript shows. “This is a dangerous enterprise.”

Last February, one of Wright’s Central District of California judicial colleagues rejected the club’s effort to disqualify him.

The Mongols similarly failed in their lawsuit against Holder, in which they claimed the asset forfeiture would “unconstitutionally infringe on the club’s First Amendment rights.” Four months after the suit was filed, Wright dismissed it.

“They are operating under the banner of the Mongols,” Wright said at the October 2013 hearing. “It is that name, that reputation, that intimidation factor which enables them to do what they do, isn’t it?” Read the full article at McClatchy DC HERE

The Mongols MC says Freedom of Speech and the right to be who they are is at stake. 

When you look at the three very different stories:
The Mongols MC and their fight for their patch and what prosecutors & judges say about the patch...
The fact the judges are stating that the patch is a tool of intimidation in places like Illinois and one of the only arguments that the US prosecutors has in the collective association membership mark case is the violence and threat the patch intimates, it makes one wonder if the shootings in Waco weren't premeditated...all part of a grand scheme to be able to point to violence as it relates to patches.

It's not that far fetched of an idea.

So many mainstream media reports and statements from the police say the same things about the Waco shootings, rival gang tensions over bottom rockers caused this.

Here is but one example:

Read the Waco Trib article HERE

Just Google it, there are many more just like it.

But when you read articles like this one from The Conservative Treehouse:

http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/05/19/report-of-waco-police-affidavitwarrants-inconsistent-with-initial-public-claims-by-same-police/

Or this one from Fox news that contradicts what police are saying about who was shot:

http://www.fox10phoenix.com/story/29120730/purple-heart-recipient-among-bikers-killed-in-waco-shooting

You quickly realize there is potentially a lot more to the situation in Waco than meets the eye.

Is Waco and the violence there going to be used as part of the prosecution's argument...it will be interesting to see how this plays out but KNOW THIS...

If the government is successful in confiscating the collective association membership mark of the Mongols MC, then every motorcycle club, every riding and social club is threatened.  

Truly, we are are already threatened.

I believe that the writing is on the wall, it has been for a long time. 

Motorcycle Clubs have got to go in the eyes of law enforcement and government.

Even here in Canada, MC's are not permitted to wear their cuts in most liquor establishments, in many cities there is a ban on wearing patches on city property (Grande Prairie AB has such a bylaw) and MC's and many RC's are singled out for special attention like being photographed at toy runs, both rider and license plate.

If we do not collectively defend our rights of association & free speech, the next thing you know it will become illegal to be a biker, a rider a motorcyclist. By that I mean, you will be harassed, your time will be wasted, valuable tax dollars will go to more police and police operations...

It appears to me, that we the people, have allowed the rights and freedoms that our veterans and serving members of the military have fought for be downgraded and diminished here at home by not defending our rights.

Remember folks that the legal system is no justice system and only those with very deep pockets and lots of patience seem to win.

What say you?

If you are blessed to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you. I recommend dressing for the slide and not the ride.

Belt Drive Betty 

Editor & Rider






Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Wearing a 3 Piece Patch? The Waco Shooting

In the aftermath of the shootout in Waco Texas, I have to ask myself and the men I call friends why they would want to wear a 3 piece patch, even here in Canada where there are not so many people, and there are gun laws in place?

(Not that gun laws make us safer, but guns are more expensive and more difficult to obtain, both legally and on the street here in Canada)

Is brotherhood as represented by a 3 piece motorcycle club patch really worth dying for?

If you claim to be law abiding, allow police or not, claim you have no territory and big money or big business is not on your radar, then riddle me this...

WHY would you want to put yourself in a position of having to defend that patch with your life? 

If there is no money, no medals, no health benefits, no job, no country flag to defend, no true compensation as in the army, then why?  

Brotherhood, can that really be all there is to it? 

I remember the biker wars in Quebec, a lot of people died, brothers, sons, husbands, uncles...their families forever altered by their choices and decisions.

My heart aches for the mothers. 

The shooting in Waco Texas, again shows us that there are motorcycle clubs willing to do just that, lay down their lives for the patch they wear and the bond they share with their brothers.

The Scimitars MC, Cossacks MC,Gypsy MC and at least three other clubs are shown below in photos from a Huffington post article...

Gypsy MC members (Huffington Post)

Cossacks' MC Members (Huffington Post)

                   

 Member of Veterans MC
and 2 other patches

There have been numerous video reports on the incident and depending on which side of the equation you are on, these are just good old boys who got into a disagreement, or they are criminals.

Only you can decide who is telling the truth and which agenda aligns with you morals.
If you are a club member how does this situation make you feel?
How does this situation make you as a  riding club member feel? What goes through your mind?



So - what say you?

If you are riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.
There have already been far to many motorcycle crashes this year.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider











Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

PTSD - A Growing Conversation

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. (Mayo Clinic)

Kate MacEachern, a former Corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces is on a mission.

Walking from Nipawin Saskatchewan to Chilliwack BC, Kate's journey is all about creating dialogue around PTSD, it's causes, it's side effects and the solutions that can bring a measure of happiness, joy and sunshine back into people's lives.

The 45 pound rucksack she carries on her back is symbolic of the burden of PTSD that so many first responders, service personnel and veteran's carry.

The journey through PTSD is all about learning to live with a new normal.

My story:

Like everyone out there, I have a few causes that are close to my heart. Finding a cure for MS - my wonderful husband has MS, so, it's important to me that we find a cure, anything to do with children who are suffering from sexual, physical and psychological abuse. As a survivor, those causes are important to me. PTSD; being a survivor, having dealt with psychiatrists and doctors, insurance and bureaucracy, I know all too well about the stigma involved with PTSD.

PTSD almost robbed me of my life. I had survived repeated beatings at the hand of my mother, I had survived being sexually molested, I had survived the car crash that put me in braces, physically, but inside, my spirit, my soul and mind were struggling. Nightmares, cold sweats, very little sleep for days and weeks and months and years...mood swings, sometimes violent ones...along with a host of other unpleasant symptoms. 

After several medications that did not work (Wellbutrin, Zoloft etc) the drugs the doctors eventually put me on, Paxil and Amitriptyline ended up exacerbating the problem instead of alleviating it.  No one knew at the time, that you should not drink coffee on Paxil. Here I was, 2-3 pots of coffee a day on 40MG's of this stuff and low and behold, when they adjusted the Amtrityline the last time, it triggered suicidal thoughts. After about a week of not being able to shut the voice off in my head, feeling like I couldn't tell anyone what was going on, terrified of what the outcome would be, I checked myself into the hospital. I spent two weeks being weened off of caffeine, through tests, it was discovered I had caffeine toxicity and 75% liver damage caused by the combination of coffee and Paxil.

I went through hell. My family went through it with me. Counselling helped some, but none of the drugs the doctors tried on me worked and with the last set almost killing me I decided I would pitch the drugs and find other ways to deal with my challenges. I meditate now, watch my diet, use herbal supplements, read a lot of spiritual books. Riding my motorcycle helps me cope as does snuggling with my cats...but...

It wasn't until I went to Wounded Warriors Weekend in Slave Lake AB last August that I truly, deeply got the message that I wasn't alone, I wasn't weird, I was wounded.

Being surrounded by others who had similar sleeping patterns to mine, watching others trigger, listening to the experiences of others who like me, wanted to do more than just survive...it wasn't until that weekend that I felt accepted, by ME. I had bought into the stigma that the doctors, friends and strangers had labelled me with. I was ashamed of me and this weakness.  NO MORE.

At Wounded Warriors Weekend I found a new layer to my healing.

DIALOGUE.

I feel stronger inside than I have in years, and I believe that the simple act of dialogue brought an enlightenment an understanding to my brain that it had not been able to accept before.

Although I wasn't a soldier or a veteran, I wasn't a cop or a fire fighter, not a medic either, the people who attended Wounded Warriors Weekend, made me realize that my trauma's while different from theirs, were real, horrible and that I wasn't crazy.

I was more like them than not, I was simply trying to find a new normal while resenting loosing the old normal.

One of the people who touched my soul and helped rekindle my fire and passion for life, was Kate MacEachern. Having been thrown from a horse during a training exercise with the Lord Strathcona's Mounted Regiment, this woman, whose back was broken, who later experienced a stroke because of a dislodged blood clot caused by the horse incident, a woman who was told she'd never walk again, might never function fully again, helped me.

She helped me through her compassion, her empathy, her courage, strength and inner beauty.

Kate MacEachern is all of those things and so much more.

After interviewing her, spending time with her, I vowed that I wanted to do more surrounding the issue of PTSD.

I wanted to support our Warriors, those who do jobs that horrify, that destroy the soul, the body and the mind. The Police, Medics, Fire Fighters, Soldiers, Veteran's - these people do jobs that I am not sure I would have the courage to do. They see horrific car wrecks, people burning alive, children being abused, bullets and IED's taking the lives of their friends - they see the WORST of humanity & Mother Nature and yet they rush in to help instead of pulling back.

Because of meeting Kate, I decided to start an event that will become it's own association in time, called Wheels for Our Wounded using my non profit, The Canadian Motorcycle Tourism Association to do so.

The goal; to help those who need wind therapy to deal with their PTSD be able to have motorcycles converted with side cars or made into trikes, help buy wheel chair accessible vehicles or help get vehicles modified so a Warrior could drive their car or truck.

You see the government looks upon private vehicles as a luxury, but those of us who ride, know that a motorcycle is far more than a luxury, for some of us, it's a life line. Those who can't take public transit know that wheels mean freedom, independence and dignity.

Dog therapy, equine therapy, wind therapy, gardening therapy - there are almost as many PTSD therapy types as there are sufferers.  This is not a one size fits all illness. There are organizations funding many of the different therapies, but vehicle therapy outside of wheel chair accessible vehicles isn't being funded here in Canada.

I called Kate and asked her if she could be my special guest since she'd be in Edmonton for May 30th - told her I'd donate 25% of everything we take in to her cause and the balance would go to purchasing a motorcycle for a veteran in need of motorcycle therapy. She agreed.

AND THEN I was asked to join the team of The Long Way Home as Operations Manager.
Overwhelmed but excited to be involved in making a bigger difference, I readily agreed.

Though we are only two weeks into Kate's 3 month long journey, I can't tell you how healing this experience has been. Gruelling, challenging but healing, for all of us in the team I do believe.

As her ops manager, my job is to take care of all the little things that crop up while the team is on the road. I apply for permits, coordinate with the rest of the team like Cindy Murphy the publicist, the events team, Pat Varga, Brenda Fredercikson, Drea Popiel, David Wilson, Sophie Pyne and Paula DeLorey her medic and all of the communities and people who reach out wanting to be involved.
I help with social media, the web site, designing and ordering of swag, ensuring the team knows what is happening from day to day. It's busy work.

The on road team is comprised of 5 women, three who are survivors with PTSD, 4 horses and one pre teen boy.

Kate is joined for the first 30 days of this trip by her son, Tyler. His message is almost as powerful as that of his mother. After all he lives with PTSD as much as she does.

For much of this journey Kate will be walking with two horses and their riders, Rebecca and her daughter Emily; Emily has PTSD. The N.A.S.H. Project provides service dogs and therapy horses and is headed up by Rebecca and her daughter.

As beneficiaries of Kate's efforts, they wanted to join Kate and show the people they get to meet what great therapy a horse can be, to talk about the effects of a service dog on its handler, to provide hope and help the discussions focus on HOPE, on supports.

Kate, Tyler, Rebecca, Emily, Lisa and JoAnne  with the Fire Fighters of
Britannia Wilton Fire Dept near Lloydminster SK/AB

I have been volunteering a ton of my time to this walk, this cause, this woman and the team on the road and yet...I feel like I have been given far more than I have been able to give to them.

To read the stories of how Kate and her team's message have touched people's lives, to see the photos and the joy, the hope she is spreading - the dialogue that is being created.

To play witness to the to the monster determination that is Kate MacEachern fills me in a way I can't truly describe.

This is her third and final journey.

It will be the most gruelling of them all, it is truly THE LONG WAY HOME.

PLEASE Follow Kate Mac, The Long Way Home and the N.A.S.H. Project. There are SOOOO many ways you can support this woman and her team as they make their way to Chilliwack.

You can:

1. Join an event in a community near you.
2. Be out on the highway and walk a kilometre or two with her.
3. Donate a few dollars, buy a tee shirt or a pin through her online store. 
4. Join her Free shopping circle.

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter, visit her site often - show this woman and this team that PTSD IS NO LONGER a DIRTY LITTLE SECRET - engage, talk share.

The more dialogue that is created, the more support will be offered to those working at reclaiming their lives and learning to live within a new normal.

Thanks for hearing me out folks and PLEASE - GET INVOLVED - BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE....

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider



Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.