By Kendra Sardinha, Staff writer
Mon Aug 04, 2008 @ 12:18 AM
RAYNHAM - Row by row,
nearly 600 motorcycles revved
their engines and took to the
road for a great cause.
The second annual Brian’s Ride,
hosted by the Massachusetts
Motorcyclists Survivor’s Fund,
brought out double the number of
riders from last year’s event.
This year, 800 riders and
passengers departed at noon from
The Jockey Club on Route 44,
rode a 49.2-mile course through
Raynham, Middleboro, Lakeville,
Taunton, Berkley, Freetown and
Rochester and completed their
ride back at The Jockey Club,
where they enjoyed food, drink
and a raffle with all proceeds
going to benefit the
newly-formed Southeastern
Massachusetts Motorcyclists
Survivor’s Fund.
The event was organized in honor
of Brian Mello, a New Bedford
firefighter who was killed in a
March 25, 2007 crash in Middleboro.
Mello was out riding with two
friends when a Weymouth man
turned in front of them, the
bikers collided with the car and
were thrown onto the road. The
other two riders survived, but
Mello did not.
Paul Cote, founder of the
Survivor’s Fund, said it’s the
fund’s mission to step in after
a family has suffered a loss and
help with finances and offer
support.
“It’s a little different from
last year in that this is meant
to be the kick-off of the
Southeastern Massachusetts
Motorcyclists Survivor’s Fund,”
said Cote. “There’s a lot of
enthusiasm and we had a great
planning team made up of 13
people.”
For Elisa Mello, Brian Mello’s
widow, the past year has been a
struggle emotionally and
financially, and she credits the
survivor’s fund with playing a
key role in her healing process.
She was thrilled to see the
event had grown in just one
year. She said in the past year
since the last Brian’s Ride,
she’s put all her energies into
helping Cote.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Brian would’ve been all over
this. This is one ride I want
people to attend and have a
clear understanding of what
rider safety is all about.”
Stanley Johnson, of Taunton, and
Lee Moscaritolo, of Ashland,
were first-timers, not just for
this event, but for any
motorcycle fundraiser.
Johnson, who has been riding for
years, was involved in an
accident in January.
“If I’m going to take part in
any ride, this is the one,” he
said.
Moscaritolo takes part in
motocross and has been riding
all his life. To him, nothing
else matters more than safety,
so for him, taking part in this
ride is significant.
“This is a great way to
emphasize awareness and support
families that have been effected
by tragedy,” he said.
The Massachusetts Motorcyclists
Survivor’s Fund, which hosts
similar rides throughout the
state, is a non-profit
organization that has been
around for 10 years. The
organization helps raise funds
for families who have lost a
loved one in an accident. Their
efforts were focused mainly on
the North Shore with an event
called Nelson’s Ride, but now,
they hope to expand their
efforts to the South Shore.
Irv Evans, a board member of the
Massachusetts Motorcycle
Association, was an avid rider
back in the 1960s and 1970s and
got back into it in the past few
years. He said the goal for
Sunday’s event was to double the
number of riders.
“A huge team of people come
together to pull this off,” he
said. “People who have never
been involved before jumped in
with both feet.”
Wolfgang Decker, Elisa Mello’s
brother, said the turnout went
way beyond his expectations.
“This is to build motorcycle
awareness where we can prevent
unnecessary, reckless driving,”
he said. “We want to remember
how Brian lived, not how he
died.”
Rick Gleason, treasurer of the
American Bikers Acting to
Educate, looked around at the
turnout and nodded his head in
affirmation.
He came with his girlfriend
Linda Bond, who’s been riding
for more than 30 years.
“It’s a great event to be a part
of,” said Bond.
ksardinha@tauntongazette.com
- Thank You Kendra Leigh |
