Bikers Against Bullies rumbles through Dixon
A long line of more than 200 motorcycles lined the north side of Dixon, Montana Saturday, part of the Bikers Against Bullying, USA fundraising event. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Saturday would probably not have been a good day to be a bully in Dixon, Montana.
More than 200 bikers rumbled into town as part of an area-wide fundraising event by Bikers Against Bullies USA, a group of motorcycle riders dedicated to counteracting the often devastating effects of bullying among children throughout the country.
This group of bikers, most of whom were astride thunderous Harley-Davidson bikes, was formed in 2012 by a group of Missoula area riders who wanted to do something about bullying and what it can do to young Americans.
“We are an awareness program aimed at educating children through school systems as well as the public forum via community engagement,” a BAB USA spokesman said as the group paused to solicit donations and drink some water on what was shaping up as a warm August day.
“These riders are mostly from this part of Montana,” said one rider from Missoula who goes by the handle “Dad.” “There are some Washington and Idaho license plates in this group too. We travel around the area doing what we can to help with this problem.”
A support vehicle carrying bottles of chilled water stopped with the bikers who traveled in a side-by-side formation that stretched several hundred yards along Highway 200, which slices through the middle of Dixon, a small town on the CSKT reservation east of Plains.
The BAB website displays a long list of events and meetings aimed at promoting awareness of the problem and as a fund-raising vehicle for a variety of programs such as Missoula Big Brothers and Sisters, the Hellgate Hero Program and Big Brothers and Sister programs in Polson and Ronan.
“This is a very cool thing to see,” said Roger Griffin, a tourist from Boise who stopped to admire the caravan parked along what is Dixon’s main street. “I wasn’t sure what was happening but a couple of the riders explained it to me and all I can say is I’m totally impressed with the cause, and the bikes.”
The group has visited more than 100 schools throughout the western United States, including several in Montana.
The website says the “100%” volunteer-operated organization raised by the group are used for BAB USA bikes, rigs, trailers and other event aids.
“Thank you for celebrating this critical movement to help the communities stand up to bullying.”
Bikers with the group have raised more than $10,000 for the Hellgate program and $2,000 for Montana Special Olympics among a long list of organizations for which they have raised funds.
The three area Big Brothers and Sisters, Missoula, Ronan and Polson, their website claims, have been the recipient of more than $7,500 thanks to their efforts.