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Highlighting three motorcycle-related charities on Giving Tuesday

Dec 03, 2019

Today is #GivingTuesday, so at RevZilla we want to take a break from the rush of the holiday season and recognize just a few of the motorcycle-related charities doing good work.

From local toy runs to national organizations such as Ride for Kids and international groups such as Riders for Health, there are plenty of motorcyclists out there combining their passion for motorcycling with good deeds. RevZilla has made a similar commitment.

In 2015, RevZilla launched a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program that we affectionately call “ZLAnthropy” (pronounced zi-LAN-thropy). Over the last four years, RevZilla employees have logged more than 1,300 volunteer hours; RevZilla has donated over $178,000 in monetary and in-kind gifts; and we have collectively supported more than 60 nonprofits, according to Martina Mansell, who directs the program. Our flagship partners are New Leash on Life-USA, which helps shelter dogs and prisoners; the local John H. Taggart School, not far from ZLA headquarters; and Motorcycle Relief Project, which helps military veterans and first responders.

The goal of the RevZilla CSR program, Mansell explains, is to help the partner non-profits fulfill their missions "and inspire our employees, customers, business partners, and peers to get involved in their communities, make things a little bit better for the people living in them, and, ultimately, save the freakin’ world."

If you're looking for a motorcycle-related group to support this #GivingTuesday, here are just a few we'd like to highlight. RevZilla is getting this started by donating $1,000 to each of these three organizations.

Motorcycle Relief Project group ride
The Motorcycle Relief Project is aimed at military veterans and first responders with PTSD. Nothing like the camaraderie of a motorcycle trip to help sort things out, right? Motorcycle Relief Project photo.

Motorcycle Relief Project

You know how a motorcycle ride can clear your head and change the way you feel? The Motorcycle Relief Project uses that effect to help veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by taking them on professionally guided motorcycle adventure rides.

"Our mission is to honor and encourage veterans and first responders who are struggling and provide them with opportunities to decompress, get unstuck, connect with like-minded peers, and gain new perspectives and skills for dealing with their issues, relationships and futures," said Tom Larson, president and founder of the organization.

The need is definitely there. Military veterans are seven percent of the U.S. population but account for 22 percent of suicides, about 8,000 per year.

"Recreation therapy provides veterans with an opportunity to break away, climb out of a rut, get out in nature, and bond with other veterans who’ve had similar experiences," said Larson.

Since 2015, more than 250 veterans and first responders have participated in the program, including veterans of all five branches of the U.S. military as well as first responders from 9/11 and the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting. The five-day tours to scenic locations are free to the participants and include group discussions and workshops that help them learn simple techniques to relax, deal with stress and move toward recovery. RevZilla began supporting the Motorcycle Relief Project in 2018 and you can make a donation here.

Road2Recovery staff and friends
Road2Recovery works directly with racers and with other organizations in the race paddock to help riders with career-ending injuries. Road2Recovery photo.

Road2Recovery

Supercross racers and other action sports athletes put on a show for us under the spotlights, but who takes care of them when they are injured and can no longer make the starting gate? Road2Recovery, a non-profit organization founded in 2000, provides a lot more than just a monetary donation to athletes with career-ending injuries.

Since it was founded, R2R has donated more than $6.6 million to athletes and their families and other entities that support them in a variety of ways, from trackside medical care at the races to counseling. In addition to money, the R2R staff also provides expertise.

"Not only are we able to provide funds to offset the cost of bills that their insurance doesn’t cover, but we offer an invaluable service as well: We are able to negotiate with the hospitals, insurance companies, and equipment companies to make sure the funds that do come in go as far as they can," said Lori Amstutz of Road2Recovery. "Recently, we were able to get one bill discounted $300,000. By knowing the medical billing system, our experience really does go a long way to ensure that every dollar donated can make a lasting impact."

R2R keeps looking out for injured racers when they're far from the spotlight. You can donate to Road2Recovery here.

Motorcycle Santa and his custom sleigh
A V-twin instead of reindeer hauls the custom sleigh that Motorcycle Santa uses to deliver gifts and cheer. Motorcycle Santa photo.

Motorcycle Santa

Toy runs are a popular giving activity among motorcyclists in the holiday season, but Motorcycle Santa, based in Wilmington, Delaware, takes it a step further. Motorcycle Santa (also known as Rocco Malin) hitches a custom-built sleigh to his motorcycle and delivers gifts to children and their families at the local children's hospital and the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware.

Last year, the organization founded by Malin raised money to sponsor two rooms at the Ronald McDonald House, thus providing a free place to stay for families who needed a home away from home while a child was being treated at the hospital.

Volunteers suit up in Christmas costumes to help Motorcycle Santa deliver the gifts. You know that can only help motorcycling's image and we're also sure Motorcycle Santa's cruiser puts out well more than eight reindeerpower, too.

You can make a donation at the Motorcycle Santa website.

Whatever cause you care to support, motorcycle-related or otherwise, we hope you'll join RevZilla's employees and remember to give on #GivingTuesday.