Starbucks M/C Club @ RFK 2005

Well, the Arizona Ride For Kids is now over. We had several club members show for the charity event, as we did have several customers. Starbucks donated the coffee for the morning, thank you Ryan & Rob. Starbucks Motorcycle Club as a group (including the customers who signed up under our name) raised almost $2,200 that weekend. We were the 7th largest group contributor at the Phoenix RFK. Not bad since so few people even knew about the ride, let alone Starbucks Motorcycle Club.

Now on to our next event...

Phoenix Ride For Kids Sets Record

The Arizona skies filled with sunshine on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2005, as more than 500 motorcyclists, fundraisers, patient families and volunteers gathered for the ninth annual Phoenix Ride for Kids®. Their fundraising efforts on behalf of kids fighting brain tumors contributed $180,840 to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s medical research and family support programs.

The police-escorted riders left Glendale Arena in Glendale for a tour of the winding backroads of the stunning desert landscape before returning to the arena for the moving Celebration of Life program. There they honored four young brain tumor survivors for their courage and perseverance—Tanner, 5; Shelby, 9; Bryce, 11; and Logan, 12. The children were joined on stage by Steve, an adult survivor of a childhood brain tumor. Other special guests included Glendale city councilman Phil Leiberman and GWRRA executive director Don Brock.

Dr. Michael Berens of the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) thanked the motorcyclists for their fundraising support, saying, “Your contributions are key to the success of our research.” Bryce’s mom, Charlene, said, “We need all of your help. Because of you, PBTF’s support of research will help us find a cure.”

The Phoenix event raised a total of $ 180,840 . Scott and Mary Jo White, who started the Nikki’s Hope foundation after a brain tumor took their daughter’s life, were the top individual fundraisers with a total of $85,000. The top club was Nikki’s Hope with $86,000, followed by the Tucson Red Riders (HRCA), whose members raised $12,636. The customers of Western Honda raised $90,934 to make it the top motorcycle business. Roger Phillips of Tucson was the winner of a brand-new Honda motorcycle donated by American Honda Motor Company.

Special thanks went to Phoenix’s task force leaders—Edie and Dave Hewitt and Clark Roushey, along with the dedicated task force members and day-of-event volunteers, for hosting a wonderful event.

Phoenix Ride for Kids fast Approaching!

We are fast approaching our first Charity Ride! On Sunday, October 16th, we will all join up at the Glendale Arena and take part in the 2005 Ride for Kids. Warren and I took part in last years ride and had a blast! This year we hope that many of you will join us and we can all have even more fun! Registration starts at 8:00am and closes at 9:45. Of course there will be fabulous Starbucks coffee there! When you register, be sure to take your reciept to the club/chapter table so we can tally up all the funds raised by the Starbucks Motorcycle Club. The ride will travel through the scenic Western Valley, with a Police Escort. That means...we get to run all the red lights we want (of course only during the ride, sorry guys!) At the end point there will be awards for individuals, chapters/clubs, as well as other festivities and a light lunch. There is also a chance to win a Honda Rebel 250!

The Ride for Kids is a wonderful charity ride! They raise funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that seeks to find the cause and cure of brain tumors in children by supporting medical research, increasing public awareness of the disease and aiding in early detection and treatment of childhood brain tumors. After the ride, you'll get a chance to hear the stories of the young patients and survivors who get to participate in the (usually on the back of a Goldwing, or in a Side Car, lucky kids!) Some stories will break your heart, while others fill you with hope. Regardless, you'll know you just made a difference, all by coming out and doing exactly what you love to do; ride.

If you can't join us for the Phoenix Ride, there are other rides all across the country, all year long. A list of the remaining 2005 rides can be found at the Ride for Kids web site, and soon they'll have a list of the 2006 rides as well. If you can't make the ride, but would still like to donate, please visit our fundraising page! All your donations will be totally secure and go straight to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation! And be sure to tell your friends as well!

Ride On!

Mrs. WO

So What Do You Ride?

Well, I currently ride a 2005 Suzuki Boulevard C50. Pictured before any upgrades with Dani Kaye, 6, and Wesley, 2. Some of you may know this bike as the Volusia 800. This was my first street bike. I got this bike because I did a lot of research (even before I was sure I wanted to ride). It was rated as the best bike in its class for a couple of years. Then for the 05, they added the fuel-injection from the GSX-R. You can't go wrong with that. While most of the bike is stock, I have done some work on the bike. First, I debadged the entire bike, no emblems or markings anywhere. First I bought a backrest for the wife, so two-up is more comfortable, for both of us. I just recently got new pipes (HardChrome Double D's), along with a fuel injector modulator (Cobra FI2000). Now there is some power throughout the entire powerband. I also got a kit and lowered the bike myself. I dropped it 3 inches. Not only does she look better, but the handling increased as well (i.e. lower center of gravity). Next I want to get bags (I really want hard "beetle bags"), and maybe some stylish mirrors.

So what is next? Not sure? My wife loves to ride and has her license, but no bike. She wants a VStar 650 Silverado. If my commute changes though, I am going to need something with just a little more everything: power, storage, and comfort. So I am possibly looking at the Honda ST 1300 or going all the way to a GoldWing. But that all depends on $$$.

Can't wait to see everyone else's rides.

WO

Welcome Riders

Welcome to the Starbucks Coffee Motorcycle Club website/blog. This will be a community blog for all members to publish club and ride information. We will be listing all upcoming meetings and ride information as soon as it is know. Currently, monthly meetings will be online until we can set up a location for them. The club is open to all Starbucks partners (employees), Starbucks customers, and all family and friends. So yes, this group is open to all riders. Why a Starbucks M/C? Well, being a Starbucks partner, this enables us to receive extra funding for our expenses, and charity events (i.e. Ride For Kids on Oct 16, 2005). If you would like to be a member, please leave a comment, with your email, and I will add you to the invite list. This is going to be a great time, as we can ride for fun, with friends (new and old), and even have an impact on our communities.

Remember in motorcycling: The destination is just an excuse for the journey!
WO