Bikers Against Bullies roar into Lincoln

Two hundred motorcycles rolled into Lincoln Friday, Sept. 7, as the annual Bikers Against Bullies ride stopped in town for lunch at Bushwackers.

The ride, said to be the largest in the state, raises awareness about bullying and raises funds for a variety of organizations that help kids, including Boys and Girls clubs, Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Special Olympics.

Steve and Leona Cannon, the new owners of Bushwackers, shut down for most of the day Friday to handle the influx, but Steve said it made sense to make the effort to host the bikers. Not only were they hitting town at lunchtime, he said they'd developed a fondness for bikers and their causes while Leona worked in a biker bar in Arkansas. It was also for a good cause that's not far from their minds.

"Having kids in high school – one's finished high school, one's still in high school - bullying is obviously something that hits close to home, especially coming from a big city."

"Leona was so happy to do this," said the head of Bikers against Bullies USA, Fred Van De Perre, who prefers his road name Flash!. "She put together a price we couldn't refuse."

Although Flash! was busy making sure his riders were being fed, he took the time to discuss the history and goals of the organization, with the help of his daughter Melody (AKA Wink), and his wife Kitty.

Taking the lead, 13-years-old Wink proves to be an articulate voice for the organization, explaining that Bikers Against Bullies got its start in 2012, when she was going to Missoula's Hellgate Elementary. To liven things up, the principal asked Flash! to come to an assembly about bullying.

"Instead of the teachers going in and saying, 'don't be a bully,' they asked him if he could come in with the bikes and make the assembly fun and cool," said Wink. The visit proved to be a hit. That first year, she said they created stickers to give away, and wound up handing out 10,000 of them in a month.

"We decided we should keep doing it, because it was having an effect on the community," she said. "At school, there were all these groups of kids, not everyone hung out with each other, but as soon as they had a common topic to talk about, like the assembly, they automatically came together and started talking about it."

Flash! said the founding principles of Bikers against Bullies was really based on the perceptions Wink had at 6 years old.

"She didn't want to be told what to do," he said. "The whole philosophy is to celebrate what we should do, and not what we shouldn't do."

That may sound like an odd way of approaching bullying, and Flash! admits it goes at the issue from a different angle, but it's all about empowering kids. He said it's not enough to say kids shouldn't be afraid of a bully. Instead, they should feel empowered to do something to help the bully feel better about themselves, recognizing there's probably something unseen driving their behavior. In other words, empower the bully not to be a bully.

"On the days you feel good, you treat people better. On the days you feel like crap, maybe you're a little shorter (with people)," he explained. "If the bully feels good about themselves, they don't need to tear others down. They cease to become a bully."

Since its inception in 2012, the organization has flourished, with chapters in all 50 states. Flash! said they have between 14,000 and 17,000 patched riders across the country, some with unexpected backgrounds. Taking a break from his hamburger, Flash! nodded in the direction of a biker sporting colors from an 'outlaw' motorcycle club, who showed up to support the cause.

"Those guys are here for us," Flash! said.

"To stand up and be heard," Kitty said.

Flash! said the growth of the organization has been very organic.

"We follow the charity, we don't lead it," he said. "We run it like a family business. The only difference is nobody gets paid. Nobody gets any kind of help with costs, lodging anything. One hundred percent of the money we raise goes into awareness for kids."

He explained that he has a particular disdain for charities that raise money, only to use the bulk of it for "administrative costs."

In addition to the rides – they also raise funds by hosting a ride to Sturgis every years - Bikers Against Bullies continues to do school visits and appearances to help educate both kids and adults about bullying.

The growing effort has people taking notice, and has drawn the support andparticipation of award-winning musicians, including the headliners for that evenings concert at Missoula's Grizzly Harley Davidson.

Jared Weeks of Saving Abel and Vencent Hickerson, leader of Big Vinny and the Trailer Choir, were piloting the rider water truck, while country singer Jared Blake rode with crowd.

"How cool is that?" Flash! asked. "The guys piloting our water truck have sold probably 80 million albums."

Chris Sorensen, who had been lead guitarist for Vaux, performed with Big and Rich and is now working with Blake, said he supports Flash! 100 percent, having lived through bullying while growing up in Estes Park, Colo.

"I came from a really violent, alcoholic family and because of that there was a lot of stuff I had to endure in school," he said. "I got on the short end of the stick on the bully thing and remember how much it affected me."

He said addressing the issue in the age of cyber bullying is really important, and that a lot of times kids can't wrap their head around the fact that bullying can do serious, even life-long damage, to how people see themselves.

"A kid will always think I'm stupid, or I'm fat or whatever. It's just wrong," he said, adding that through school appearances over the years, he can pick out the kids who are having trouble. "That's the wonderful thing about Flash!, man, he'll come in and talk to these kids."

To learn more about Flash! his team and their mission, check out bikersagainstbulliesusa.com.