A CLUB WITH A CONSCIENCE MOTORCYCLE 'GANG' TO HELP SURVIVOR OF BURN.Byline: RICK COCA Valley News Writer With a name that inspires images of Spanky, Alfalfa alfalfa (ălfăl`fə) or lucern (l  sûn`), perennial leguminous plant (Medicago sativa and Darla, the
Our Gang Motorcycle Club This article is about "American-style" motorcycle clubs (MCs) as a specific cultural phenomenon, not motorcycle riding clubs in the generic sense of the term.A Motorcycle Club might be the least intimidating club name in motorized mo·tor·ize tr.v. mo·tor·ized, mo·tor·iz·ing, mo·tor·iz·es 1. To equip with a motor. 2. To supply with motor-driven vehicles. 3. To provide with automobiles. two-wheel history. And that's exactly the signal this family-oriented club that strives to improve communities through philanthropic efforts wants to send. What started six years ago as a loosely organized attempt by eight San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. friends to combine a little weekend riding with some charitable work, has turned into a club of 27 couples whose recent summertime community picnic drew about 500 people. Their latest charitable ride event will be the club's first annual Poker Run A Poker run (also known as a Poker Derby) is an organized event using a motorcycle, boat, car or other form of transportation where participants travel over a predesignated route and, at designated stops on the route, draw playing card(s). on Oct. 1, which allows motorcyclists and others to ride throughout the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. and Antelope valleys, making stops at five restaurants, where participants pick up a playing card. At the end of the run, the person with the best hand will win a 42-inch plasma television set -- the person with the worst hand, $100. Part of the proceeds will go to Elizabeth ``Bee'' Lopez of Granada Hills, a friend to some of the riders and a woman who survived an auto crash last year that left her with third-degree burns third-degree burns npl → brûlures fpl au troisième degré third-degree burns third npl → Verbrennungen pl dritten Grades over 70 percent of her body. Lopez required six skin-grafting surgeries and extensive physical therapy that resulted in medical bills that surpassed $2.5 million. The single-car crash occurred last summer while the Lopez family -- Lopez, her husband, Raul, and children Matthew, Joshua and Hannah -- were on their way to Pismo Beach in an RV that slid down an embankment and exploded. ``Most of my time is committed to her,'' Raul said. ``She still needs help with everything she does, as far as dressing, showering and all that.'' Lopez still needs one more surgery on her elbows to give her more flexibility where scar tissue scar tissue n. Dense, fibrous connective tissue that forms over a healed wound or cut. has developed. Despite the dramatic alteration to her life, Lopez is remarkably upbeat. She credits her deep faith and belief in God. And now comes the support from the Our Gang Motorcycle Club. Club President Jess ``Chuey'' Beltran, 56, a Northridge resident who runs his own custom motorcycle-seat business, said the fundraiser is part of the club's ``Our Gift to Society,'' or O.G.S. commitment. ``We're known as a social, cruising, benefit club,'' Beltran said. They sponsor two children through the World Vision charity organization and have raised money for a children's hospital A children's hospital is a hospital which offers its services exclusively to children. The number of children's hospitals proliferated in the 20th century, as pediatric medical and surgical specialties separated from internal medicine and adult surgical specialties. in Hollywood, a battered women's shelter in Lancaster and a terminally ill Terminally Ill When a person is not expected to live more than 12 months. Notes: Any gifts given out by the afflicted person at this time may be considered as a dispersion of the estate rather than a gift. cancer patient. Each year they sponsor a free community picnic at Woodley Park in Van Nuys, with a Mission Hills fire station participating and 300 to 500 people showing up for food, music and water slides for the kids. The club has come a long way in a short time. But what about that name? ``It started out as a joke,'' Beltran said. ``We didn't think it would go this far. Our goal was to help people and to give to charity, but we didn't think it would grow this far.'' CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) A portion of the proceeds from the Our Gang Motorcycle Club's upcoming Poker Run will go to help burn victim Elizabeth Lopez, second from left, here with, from left: Jess ``Chuey'' Beltran, her father, Rey Lopez, husband Raul Lopez, mother Patricia and son Matthew. Rick Coca/Valley News Box: HOW TO HELP |
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