Beyond Pedal Power: Motorcycle Ride Raises Millions for March of Dimes

By NICOLE LEWIS

Many charities raise money by organizing walks, runs, and bike rides.

But some donors would rather wear leather jackets instead of sneakers, and ride motorcycles instead of breaking a sweat.

Nine years ago, officials at the March of Dimes Georgia chapter, in Atlanta, decided to tap that crowd by starting a motorcycle ride.

The ride has since been copied by other March of Dimes chapters in 40 states, and last year the events raised almost $2-million for local chapters of the charity, which supports research, education, and advocacy work to prevent birth defects and infant mortality.

The March of Dimes, which has its national headquarters in White Plains, N.Y., raised $181-million last year.

Riders, who cover 30 to 80 miles, depending on the state, pay an entry fee of $25 to $35.

In addition, the charity encourages them to solicit pledges from family, friends, and colleagues.

Motorcycle riders who collect $75 in pledges receive a T-shirt and a commemorative pin. Riders who obtain more than $250 in pledges are also entered in a drawing for a grand prize, such as a donated motorcycle.

Riders who collect $1,000 or more in pledges secure a position in the ride near the front of the pack, and they are invited to a breakfast reception with celebrity participants, who sometimes include the two national honorary co-chairmen: Peter Fonda, star of “Easy Rider,” the 1969 motorcycle movie, and Erik Estrada, who played a motorcycle policeman in the late 70’s and early 80’s on the television show CHiPs.

In Atlanta, where the March of Dimes Ride attracted 10,000 motorcyclists and passengers last year, officials have added a pair of related fund-raising events in the two days before the Sunday ride: a concert and a motorcycle trade show, with vendors, stunt shows, and other entertainment.

Last year 38 corporate sponsors contributed a total of approximately $100,000 in cash, in addition to in-kind donations, to underwrite those two events as well as the ride’s expenses.

All money from ticket sales for the concert and trade show, and funds raised through the ride, benefited the charity’s programs.

Among the corporate sponsors were a radio station, a cable-television operator, and a local alternative newspaper, all of which promoted the ride free. To further publicize the event, the charity mailed information to 10,000 past participants, as well as to motorcycle clubs. Brian Ziegler, the charity’s state director, estimates that 60 percent of the riders are from Atlanta, 25 percent from Georgia, and the rest from other states.

The Atlanta event’s local co-chairman is John Woodruff, a business executive and founder of the Ruffwood Foundation, in Atlanta, whose great-grandfather ran the Coca-Cola Company. Mr. Woodruff, who participated in an early ride, has since become a state board member of the March of Dimes, and now serves as a national trustee for the charity.

For more information, see the charity’s Web site at http://www.modimes.org, or contact Michelle Ramos, Ride Coordinator, March of Dimes, 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, N.Y. 10605; (914) 997-4594; mramos@modimes.org.