A little rain never scared a serious biker dude or dudette, especially when there is a good cause to ride for.
On Saturday morning, in the spitting rain, about 40 riders got their Harleys, Hondas, Suzukis, and Triumphs rumbling and roaring in the parking lot of Community Living Guelph-Wellington on Royal Road. The Bad Bones Riding Club organized the 175-kilometre Ride for J.O.E.
J.O.E. stands for Jobs, Opportunity, Enterprise. The not-for-profit organization, which runs on a shoestring budget, is dedicated to exploring innovative, community-based employment options and job training for adults with developmental disabilities.
You might have seen the orange-shirted members serving Planet Bean coffee and homemade treats at the Guelph Public Library, or being a jovial presence at a number of local events in recent times. They are fond of telling jokes and brightening up the day of their customers.
Moe Weso, a Bad Bones member, works at Guelph Medical Place on Dawson Road. He told reporters Saturday morning that he was moved to do something to support J.O.E. after meeting members at his workplace as they served coffee and did their thing. He is the father of a developmental challenged son.
“Guelph Medical Place gave them a spot to sell coffee and baked goods,” Weso said. “That’s where I first met them.”
He did some research into the group and found out that it was mostly parents that were supporting J.O.E. financially.
“I thought I should do something good, for once,” he added, with a chuckle. “We went around collecting donations from a lot of restaurants and businesses.”
Nearly $1,000 in cash, as well as dozens of items to raffle, were collected. The cash and proceeds from the sale of raffle tickets will go to J.O.E.
Karen Calzonetti, J.O.E.’s project manager, said the organization is appreciative of any funds it receives, and has very few external sources of funding.
“We are looking at buying some new equipment,” Calzonetti said. “We are expanding our operations, with some exciting things happening on the horizon. We are going to need some infrastructure and support to do that. This money is going to go a long way to help us grow. We need more equipment because we are getting more customers.”
J.O.E. has been around for about five years, and officially became a non-profit organization a year ago. There have been other fundraising events, but the Bad Bones sponsored one on Saturday is the largest so far.
J.O.E. need more equipment, Calzonetti added, because it is getting more customers.
“Word is getting out about us,” said Steve Jacobs, volunteer president of the J.O.E. board of directors. “People are happy to support people who would otherwise have extreme difficulty finding any kind of meaningful occupation.”
Just after 10 a.m., the bikers rumbled out of the parking lot, heading first to Orangeville and then into the Hockley Valley. Festivities continued in the afternoon on Royal Road.
