Thunder Roads Magazine of Oklahoma/Arkansas TRMOK AR Sept_web | Page 16

FEATURES
NEW RIDER FINDS BUDDIES
THROUGH FACEBOOK GROUP
BY: MR. BO, MRBO
Hello my road name is Mr.Bo
creator of one of the fastest-
growing motorcycle Facebook
groups in Oklahoma. MRBO: My
Riding Buddies Oklahoma.
My Riding Buddies, created
2 years ago, has turned out to
be a great family. I can’t thank
the group enough for helping me
keep it that way. I have only been
part of the biker Community for
about four years. I have learned in
my short time that if another biker
brother or sister is in need they
will be there in a second. Even if
it means getting up in the middle
of the night and driving for hours
whatever it is they’re there even if
they don’t know you.
Bikers sometimes get a bad
rap because of how movies and
media have portrayed them.
The largest part of the biker
Community are just regular
people that have families
grandkids children and go to
work every day. Yes, we like to
rip it up, raise the roof, but we
do so while raising money for
a particular cause. We are just
enjoying life while we have it.
16
Thunder Roads Magazine of OK/AR
In the four years I’ve ridden,
I have been part of more charity
and fundraiser events than I have
ever been in any other group or
organization. What other group or
organization can raise $10,000
or more, with a mere 200 people
or so, for one particular cause
or another? I certainly don’t
know of any. Bikers support a
wide variety of local, national,
and international charities that
seek to end cancers, poverty,
hunger and children’s diseases.
Charity is to bikers as gasoline
and oil are to their machines.
Just to name a few of these
fundraisers that have occurred
in the biker community; Let’s
look at Justin Terney! He was
the young police officer that was
killed and Tecumseh Oklahoma.
There was a total 218 bikes, and
$9757 raised! Recently, I joined
the autism ride. I think there were
125 bikes or so, over $9,000
raised, for autism research. The
list goes on and on
I’ve observed bikers
providing 24/7 security at
battered women’s shelters,
holding motorcycling events
such as Poker Runs to raise
money for local families whose
homes were destroyed by fire
or natural disasters, or to help
families stricken by some other
tragic event get on their feet.mIf
a member of the community is
in legitimate need, and the biker
community are able to help and
they almost always do.
Even if it’s just “Passing the
Hat,” where riders, whether
clubs, groups, organizations,
associations
or
ministries,
literally pass around a baseball
cap into which members place
what cash they can spare. This
might not seem like much, but
to a family in desperate need of
short-term assistance, this can
mean the difference between
having electricity and water and
going without. And this happens
all the time. There’s nothing like
being part of a family that will
come to your come to your Aid
and ask for nothing in return
except for maybe a beer or two
and your friendship.