By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
GREENVILLE — Despite heavy, threatening skies, a huge rumble roared through Greenville and surrounding areas last weekend, all for a good cause.
It was the sixth annual Ride for Nathan, a motorcycle run in support of an 11-year-old Greenville boy living with disabilities.
The event is organized each year by the Red Barn Riders, a motorcycle club based in Medusa.
“Today’s ride is about Nathan,” said event organizer LJ James. “Nathan is a young boy in the Greenville area who has some problems. Every year he grows bigger — he is 11 years old now — so we raise money to help the family. We’ve helped get him a wheelchair, we got [equipment] for the pool so he can get in and out of the pool. We even sent him to Disneyland because the only thing he responds to is Mickey Mouse. Every year we do this ride to help him and his family.”
The ride began and ended at Vanderbilt Town Park on Route 32 in Greenville last Saturday and went for about 80 miles, all the way out to Schoharie and back, with several stops along the way — including an ice cream stop.
The Ride for Nathan is how James got involved with the Red Barn Riders in the first place, he said, after he saw the good causes the group undertakes.
“Three years ago, I came to this event and met these guys and I couldn’t believe the things they were doing to help out the community,” James said. “I thought I could help so I started hanging out with them and I thought — what a great group of people! All they care about is helping people. They love to ride motorcycles and they love to help people in the community.”
The Red Barn Riders regularly undertake charitable causes, everything from holiday gifts and visits to nursing homes to purchasing a pair of unicorn rainbow slippers for a little girl.
“These things stick with you,” James said. “When you see a little kid’s face so happy from such a a simple thing — it was like $5 or $10 for those slippers — but that kid was so happy.”
“We also look for causes where people aren’t lining up to help,” he added.
So, when the challenges faced by Nathan and his grandparents came to the attention of the club’s members, they jumped into action. Each year, the ride raises anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000 for Nathan and his family.
“Nathan needs a lot of things — he needs to eat certain types of food, he’s got to go to Albany all the time for treatment,” James said. “He needs a lot of things that other kids don’t need.”
While the skies threatened on Saturday, the event still drew about 100 people, with roughly 40 riding their bikes and another 60 turning out to donate and show their support. After the ride concluded, everything gathered back at Vanderbilt Town Park for an afterparty.
Craig Renner, secretary and treasurer of the Red Barn Riders, was happy with the turnout even though the weather was dicey.
“It’s a great showing,” Renner said. “It’s a pretty good community turnout. There are 11 from the Red Barn Riders, and the rest are from the general community.”
The image of dozens of motorcyclists gathering in support of a young disabled boy is in contrast to the image of bikers in much of the popular media.
“People watch TV shows about bikers and gang wars and that’s not the way it really is,” Renner said. “The vast majority of people in the biker community give to charity. We are a registered charity and the people associated with the biker community know we are not about gangs and the things you see on TV. It’s about helping the community.”
David “Caveman” Enberg agreed.
“The biker community is like a giant family,” Enberg said. “Even if you don’t know each other, by the time you are done with a ride, it’s like you’ve known each other forever. There’s no better way to get to know somebody than riding down the road at 60 miles an hour, side by side, inches from each other.”
“They are very helpful people who like to give back to the community,” Enberg added. “That’s what it’s all about — giving back.”