Wing Ding 30 Official Program - Wing World Magazine Archives

By Dennis Weston • GWRRA #215390 • Virginia Beach, VirginiaMotorcyclists are some of the most generous people you will ever meet, and Gold Wingers are no exception. From Dice runs to PolarBear runs to charity rides to holiday parades, bikers often give of their time and support helping others and, hopefully, in being the causeof some big smiles from the kids we all help and entertain. It’s some of the best fun you can have with others, and, in Chapter “B” fromVirginia Beach, Virginia, that is no exception. But one of ours has a little twist—it involves two wheels but no engine!Motorcycle marshals, fromChapters VA-B, VA-L, and NC-E2,assist in a 2008 Tour de Cure inVirginia and North Carolina.Our Chapter has been assisting theAmerican Diabetes Association(ADA) “Tour de Cure” for the past fewyears. The “Tour de Cure” is a bicycle ride toraise money for the ADA. Last year more than32,000 cyclists in 78 Tour events raised nearly$13 million to support the mission of the ADA:To prevent and cure diabetes and to improvethe lives of all people affected by diabetes.This particular ride consists of a 100-mileCentury ride and smaller 25-, 30- and 65-milerides. Our ride departed Hickory High Schoolin Chesapeake, Virginia, and ended at RoanokeIsland Festival Park in Manteo, NorthCarolina. Twenty to thirty Gold Wings fromour Chapter and neighboring Chapters were onhand to provide motorcycle escort supportalong the route, troubleshooting problems andensuring rider safety. Our responsibilities eachyear include monitoring the flow of riders,assisting with traffic control, and even assistingwith mechanical problems a cyclist mayincur.All the while, we still get to ride on somereally nice country roads on our Wings, visitnew places, and raise money for a great cause.Plus, we get to meet new—and equally generous—bikersof a different sort.We just figured one day, “Why not use ourresources, which just sit during poker runs, tohelp others and raise money at the same time?”If you think about it, we Wingers have manyadvantages to be able to help others: We canoffer CB communications if there are anyunfortunate accidents. And the majority ofMembers (in our Chapter and the ones who52 Wing World