Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/714189
6 nSeptember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Evo Red IDYLLWILD, CALIF., JULY 16— Besides riding and socializing, Wind & Fire Motorcycle Club (a fi refi ghter/ Harley international club) has a sec- ondary focus on charity. W&F MC's fi rst motorcycle charity events in 1994 were hosted by chapters located in Santa Barbara, California, Bellwood, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado. Thus began the club's signature Burn Camp Run (BCR) events, motorcycle runs to summer camps benefi tting burn-in- jured children. At Camp Club mem- bers made donations and intermingled biker-to-camper with the kids. Duplicating that same BCR format, an inaugural Kids Day Run (KDR) took place three years later in California. This time the venue was Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times in Idyllwild, a summer fun camp for kids with cancer. July 16 this year marked the club's 20th year of riding to Camp Ronald McDonald. Upon arriving at camp, club mem- bers are paired-up with a Cabin—a group of kids defi ned by the numbered cabin in which they reside. In my case I joined Cabin #14, a cheery group of young ladies. Festivities onsite include: get-acquainted games such as Hong Kong Phooey to introduce the bikers to their Cabins, slow race bike heats, camper selfi es taken astride the Harleys and the highly competitive hula-hoop relay (actually more spec- tacle than contest)…details later. It's traditional for those campers in-the- know to plead, "Can I wear your col- ors vest?" This request is a narrowly disguised ploy; its real target being to set up an "unsuspecting" biker for the vest return ritual. Later, said vest-re- trieval requires an obligatory Squirrel Dance—often done line-dance fash- ion—during lunch, in front of a packed mess hall. The Squirrel Dance is, as you might imagine, is pure awkwardly, goofy, fun. The aforementioned hula-hoop relay race explained: Out in an open fi eld, four teams are stretched hand- and-hand into lines consisting of several Cabins with their respective bikers. At the end of each line sits a Harley; at the other end stands a biker waiting next to a pile of clothes. A hula-hoop is then placed on the arm of the fi rst person near the line's bike- end. At "Go" the hoop is relayed down the line, clumsily passing over and under each team member's body while that member has both hands held fast to adjoining line-mates. Once the hoop has trav- eled the line end-to-end to arrive at the awaiting biker, he (funnier when it's a guy) has to don gear from the pile (frilly ladies clothes, no less), run back down along the line garbed in dress and bonnet to his bike, hop on and fi re it up. Cool fun… no one really cares who wins. This year W&F MC brought along commemorative 20th anniversary run patches for everyone—riders, camp- ers and staff. The unique anniversary patches feature the dual logos of Ronald McDonald's "Rainbow Kids" and Wind & Fire's "Fire Bike." W&F MC is grateful to be part of the summer escape of Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times. It's always good to be in-the-wind. Adding some- thing altruistic to the journey enhances the experience. It's a completely uplift- ing feeling to put some happy and/or mesmerized faces on kids coping with adversity. Nationally and internation- ally the clubs hosts approximately two dozen annual charity events. 4 WIND & FIRE MC'S 20TH ANNUAL KIDS DAY RUN Kids of all ages Pass the hula-hoop, please Station stop on route to camp 20th annual Kids Day Run patch Hula hoop relay