On June 25, hundreds of bikers will rip through Sun City raising plenty of noise and funds on their way north to help children with cancer attend a camp designed just for them.
In 2003, friends Bill Humphrey and Kevin O’Meara started the Big Bikes Helping Little Tykes Pledge Run, a charity bike run to help One Step at a Time, a camp for children with cancer for which Humphrey had previously volunteered.
Bill Humphrey said the best point of the bike run is hearing the children sing and seeing where the money goes. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
When O’Meara suggested starting a charity run, the two put their love of choppers to charitable use. In the nine runs held since starting the event, Big Bikes Helping Little Tykes has raised about $150,000, according to Humphrey.
One Step at a Time is a two-week camp on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, held for children of different ages who have cancer, allowing them to participate in various outdoor activities or even become camp counselors themselves.
The camp also features nurses, physicians, and medical professionals who can administer chemotherapy and other assistance to campers.
“It’s just like a hospital up there for some of these kids because a lot of these poor kids, they’ve lost limbs and their sight, and it’s really, really tough. So anything we can do to help these kids out, it just makes a lot of us feel a lot better,” Humphrey said.
Big Bikes helping Little Tykes, a charity bike run to benefit One Step at a Time camp, begins its ninth run on June 25. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
Bikers first rev their engines at Duke’s Drive-In in Bridgeview, Il., a restaurant Humphrey owns with his wife, Sue. The journey ends about three hours later at camp, where the bikers present the money and spend time with campers at a cookout.
“Then they sing us a song and make all these big, burly bikers start crying because these little kids who are incredibly sick are singing and thanking us,” Humphrey said.
The interaction with the kids and the camp is what makes the trip for Humphrey.
“The part about this that’s the best is everybody sees exactly where the money’s going,” he said. “We ride bikes into camp while camp is going on, and the kids come out and they sit on the motorcycles and they start them and they really have a good time.”
The bikers make a difference by raising money to help fund and support the camp, but also by helping families send their children to One Step at a Time when they would not be able to afford the camp otherwise.
Money is not raised per mile, but riders are sponsored for the entire trip. Humphrey said Big Bikes Helping Little Tykes asks for a minimum of $20 from each rider.
“It’s really impressive going through the back roads because Kevin and myself lead it, and we look back in the mirror and for as far as we track there are still motorcycles coming,” Humphrey said.
“I would say we string out for at least a mile,” he added.
According to Humphrey, about 160 bikes took the trip last year and about $26,000 was raised, up dramatically from the $5,000 raised their first year. Humphrey said he would love to raise at least $30,000 this year.
With all the different motorcycle charity runs in the summer, Humphrey said it can be difficult to get everyone synchronized for Big Bikes Helping Little Tykes. He added that the bikers on the run come from all different walks of life.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re unemployed or if you’re the high-dollar attorney; you’re a biker. You’re part of a brotherhood, and we’re all there for the same cause,” he said.
The bikers can be seen making their routine stop at Drendel’s Corner Mobil Mart, where they fuel up and take a rest before continuing on to camp.
Jim Drendel, owner of the store, could not help but take notice of the bikers and has been donating to their cause for the past three or four years. For the past two years, he has put out a collection bin for customers to help as well.
Humphrey said he would love to see participation from Sun City and encouraged residents to join in the ride.
“If there are any bikers there that want to join us on the ride or they could then follow us if anyone’s got any classic cars or anything, they’re more than welcome to jump in at the end and go to camp with us,” he said. “They can sign up ahead of time at the gas station there.”
The ride has never been open to classic cars before, but Humphrey said anyone can join if they make a donation to the camp.
For more information on the run, visit littletykesrun.com.
