BWAH 2008 begins with a great "Ride For Cheer"

   The first "Ride For Cheer" of the 2008 season occurred on June 11th, Mother's Day. BWAH visited Jacob in Old Orchard Beach, who was born with congenital bilateral anophthalmia. Basically, Jacob has been blind from birth, having no functional eye tissue. This was the first time that BWAH visited a child with such a condition, meeting the challenge of creating a purely "sensory" experience. It was a great success!

   The BWAH group of motorcycles, led by Ltn. Gary Fecteau in his Sheriff's Dept. cruiser, traveled up to OOB via the Maine Turnpike, a first for BWAH. The ride went well, and Jacob and his family greeted us with great enthusiasm. Of course, Jacob was able to hear us approaching well before we arrived at his home. (According to his dad, he was anxiously anticipating our arrival for quite some time.)

   The Bikers With A Heart approached Jacob upon arrival and offered warm and hearty greetings. Jacob was excited, animated, and was also quite humorous, exchanging jokes with the riders. Jacob greatly appreciated the Grab Bag filled with donated goodies. (Thanks to all who contributed!) The Certificate of Proclamation was robustly read by Angella Marie, a newcomer who is originally from the state of Kentucky.

   The Parade Ride was very exciting. Jacob rode with Steve, who piped in music from Queen (one of Jacob's favorite bands) into his helmet headset. Jacob's mom and his two sisters came along on the Parade Ride. Thereafter, Ltn. Gary Fecteau showed Jacob the driver's seat of his cruiser. Jacob had fun blearing the siren for all to hear.

Jacob's joyous and sweet disposition won the hearts of many on this special day. His vibrant demeanor and engaging personality brought smiles and laughs to many in the BWAH group. As we gathered to say our goodbyes to Jacob, his dad said, "He's going to talk about this for a long, long time!"