Survivors Christina Anders...
Survivors Christina Anders (left) and Lani Hendrickson (right) with event organizer Rebecca Mitchell
This was one of those events that I sometimes find myself at. Just a local ride, for a local charitable cause, fuelled by the passion of local enthusiasts to ride and give back to the community. In this case, the charity recipients were lucky enough to be well-connected in the motorcycle industry and drew donations and participation from a number of SoCal-based motorcycle businesses. Christina Anders is a 39-year-old single mother of two who was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer last summer and Lani Hendrickson is a 24-year-old fresh out of college who has ovarian cancer. Needless to say, their medical bills are mounting and they could use a ride both to lift their spirits and to pad their medical funds. I donated my time to be the official photographer for the event.
The 50-mile ride went from San Juan Capistrano Harley-Davidson along the fabulous beaches of Orange County's Pacific Coast Highway then to Cook's Corner in Trabuco Canyon. Once at Cook's (a SoCal landmark that I had somehow never made it to before) there was a raffle (prizes included jackets, paintings, helmets, tattoos, scooters, and even motorcycles), two live bands, and just a very cool no-attitude crowd.
All proceeds from the $25 rider entry to the $5 raffle tickets went to Lani and Christina, as all of the event staffing, location, entertainment and everything was donated, thanks to the efforts of event organizer West Coast Diva. Most importantly, Christina and Lani got to take time off from their struggle to hang with some people who wish them only the best. -BB