TOWER- It was still a bit early in the season for a motorcycle ride, but a group from the East Central Minnesota Chapter of A.B.A.T.E (American Bikers for Awareness, Training, and Education) took a road trip by car to Tower March 9, to deliver a little comfort to a child during a time of stress. That came in the form of 40 small stuffed “Buddy Bears,” which first responders can use to calm a child at the scene of a fire, accident, or other incident.
The bears were distributed to the Tower, Vermilion Lake, Eagles Nest, and Greenwood fire departments along with the Breitung Police Department. And if area departments are in need of more bears this summer, the motorcycle group said they would be happy to deliver more since the group is hoping to organize a group ride to the area later this summer.
The bears are purchased with charitable gambling money, which means the bears have to be delivered in person, rather than mailed or shipped, so members can complete required paperwork. The bears are donated to fire and ambulance departments, women’s shelters, and other organizations that work with children in crisis situations.
The club does one large raffle fundraiser a year, plus some other smaller events, like their Valentine’s Auction Get-Together to raise money for their outreach efforts.
The club’s focus is on motorcycle safety education, but they also sponsor group rides and trips.
“If I can ride 8,000 miles in a season, I am happy,” said group president Jim Pierson. “We often do 100-mile long rides as a group, sometimes 150 miles, and we also like to ride for a charitable cause.”
The group sponsors safety and education programs, along with awareness campaigns like “Start Seeing Motorcycles” and “Look Twice, Save a Life.”
Pierson said the buddy bears have been very well received by EMS workers.
“It is something for a child to hold onto and focus on,” he said.
Jane Doyle, the statewide coordinator of A.B.A.T.E groups in Minnesota also traveled to Tower.
“Thanks to the East Central Chapter for bringing the bears up,” she said.
Jen McDonough, owner of the Tower Café and longtime first responder and firefighter knew of the program from her previous volunteer work and had contacted Doyle about getting the bears up in this area. She is also a member of the Vermilion Lake Fire Department and is a EMR for the Tower Ambulance Service.
You can learn more about A.B.A.T.E at https://www.abatemn.org/.