Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/738714
52 nNovember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Charity Singleton MEDFORD, ORE., AUG. 20—We all have the freedom to hop on that ride of ours and travel great distances to fi nd our center, our strength and our serenity. We love to have the wind in our face and the sun on our back, to see great places with amazing scenery. We live for the ride. Heading over the hill to Medford for Thunderstruck's 20th annual Extreme Block Party I refl ect on the freedom I have to ride and when I ride. Mark and Betsy Daley hold this annual block party to raise funds for causes they hold near and dear to their hearts. The Rogue Valley Boys and Girls Club are very grateful as all the proceeds from this event are donated to them to help with all expenses to provide a safe environment for kids of the Rogue Valley. There were 90 spon- sors this year to help the event raise these funds. The grand total raised at this event was a whopping $25,000. What a great turnout for an amazing organization and what a fantastic com- munity to support a great cause! Though the Extreme Block Party is not your typical bike event, it does have many vendors, bikes on dis- play and a great bike contest. This contest allows for many to bring their custom rides out and get judged by the great Mark Daley. Mark is a world-renowned custom bike builder. He has cracked his knuckles, bled and sweated over his custom rides. This year I asked Mark what keeps him going throughout 20 years of holding this event for the kids. He responded, "It is knowing that I am helping the kids in our area. To get thank-you cards from them is so heartwarming and that is what keeps us going." He loves to help this amazing organiza- tion. He loves seeing the smiles on the kids' faces and he loves to help his small community. He told me that this event is what is keeping the Boys and Girls Club open in Talent, Oregon. The Daleys truly have hearts of gold. Mark was honored to present Al Fosdale with the 2016 Custom Bike Build award for his two-seater custom handicap trike. Al had spent a long time making this bike to give him and his wife the freedom of the open road. Another great organi- zation that Mark and his shop, Thunderstruck, has become very involved in is the Combat Hero Bike Build, which "is a pro- gram designed by warriors, for warriors, to give our wounded heroes the free- doms they once enjoyed." Last year I got to meet up with SSgt Shawn Meadows who was the 2015 recipient for the Custom Bike Build. Thunderstruck put many hours into this bike to customize it for him. SSgt Meadows is from the U.S. Air Force and is a double ampu- tee; this bike has all the controls at his hands so he does not have to worry about his feet. I got to talk to SSgt Meadows again at this year's event and got to see fi rsthand the amazing work that Thunderstruck did with his new ride. I asked Mark what the hard- est part of the build was. He stated that it was "making sure that it was comfortable. It needs to fi t the rider with all the hand controls and it needs to feel natural." After speaking with Shawn, Mark and the crew nailed it. He is very comfortable and everything did come naturally when riding. I then asked Mark what his most favorite part of this build was. He responded, "The design of the bike is more of a club bike. It is sleek; it has a small back end and is short in stature." I agree; it is more compact than most trikes I have seen on the road. Love the design and love the work put into it for such a deserving man. Shawn is a humble dad of an 11-year-old, and husband to his wife. He has been riding dirt bikes all his life but never got the opportunity to own a own street bike. He left for the Air Force right after 9/11 and came back disabled. With this new bike he THUNDERSTRUCK'S 20TH ANNUAL EXTREME BLOCK PARTY Back in the wind Freedom at its sweetest See "Thundersturck," page 55, column 1 SSGT Sean Meadows with wife and son along with his custom built trike CHBB Co-Chairman of Eagle Warrior, John "hard- Charger" Barker with our US Marine and US Army recipient