LOH: we are women, hear us roar

I am part of a group of ladies known as Ladies of Harley, part of the Mt. Baker Harley Owners Group Bellingham, WA.  We are more than women in black leathers.  We are an active group of women who raise money with their “Change for Change” program, several hot dog flipping events for tips, and our first ever garage sale this year.

We have made cash donations to the Ferndale Police Dept. for their Teddy Bear Program and cash donations to several school districts each year to buy school supplies for needy children. The Ladies give a mock baby shower for themselves each November and donate the gifts to the GRADS program in Bellingham, a program that allows teen moms to complete their high school education while providing daycare for their babies.  We participated in the Jingle Bell Walk for the first time last year and a benefit for Camp Katrina in Louisiana.  

We are women, hear us roar.  We are making a difference by providing help and assistance to women, children, and families in Whatcom County through our fundraising.  We are secretaries, teachers and university personnel, health care workers, business owners, artist, homemakers, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and daughters with a love of Harleys and hearts of gold.

We flip about 700 hotdogs each year during the annual Harley-Davidson of Bellingham June bike show.  The dealership buys the hotdogs, buns, condiments, and drinks which we distribute to visitors for a donation to our tip jar.  This money allows us to buy school supplies, emergency food, and art supplies for the GRADS girls.

Our inaugural garage sale was a huge success.  Who could image that people would line up at the gates of the Kennard Estate and then run to grab the treasurers the members had donated when the gates opened.  A number of our male members also volunteered to help out during the sale and we used their muscles to move heavy items for customers.   We laughed lots and enjoyed the sunny afternoon.

Some of us also took home a few treasures shopping while we set up on Friday and Saturday morning.  My finds were a Victorian ladies chair that needs some new upholstery, an odd fellow’s podium, and a vintage croquet set.  Now, my husband Larry couldn’t see the beauty in my finds, but the podium will become a night stand and a base for one of my father’s birdhouse lamps.  The ladies chair will probably wind up in the same room as the podium just looking cute upholstered in reds, suede, lace, corduroy, stripes, Swiss dot, and quilted remnants.  I bought the croquet set for the wooden balls which I someday hope to have enough to fill an old bowl and be a topic of conversation when people ask why I have them.

We sold everything except a Harley--but had several parked in the circular driveway for people to admire.  The Ladies of Harley is not just a group I belong to; they are my friends who have become another family.

How LOH will spend our time and money this year:
Our own webmaster, Jeannie, is starting a non profit with her son to provide computers and software to low income and needy children.  Jeannie has a heart for helping children and this is just one more way she gives to others.  So the Ladies will provide funds to help out.

We will continue to support GRADS with tips from our annual hotdog flipping event at the bike show in June.

We will make a cash contribution to The Mighty Max fund (http://www.maxupdate.blogspot.com/) which will help families who have children being treated with Charge Syndrome at Children’s Hospital in Seattle.  We are working with Max’s mom, Amy, and our own LOH member, Candie, who also works at Treasury of Memories on a Harley scrap booking fundraiser to benefit the Mighty Max fund.

We will participate in the Jingle Bell Walk again in December, a community service project during October for make a difference day, a baby shower to benefit GRADS in November and possibly an event to raise money for the cancer foundation.  

Our focus in LOH this year is primarily on helping children, but when you help a child you help their family, and the whole community benefits.

I am proud to be a Lady of Harley in the Mt. Baker Chapter Harley Owners Group.