Mention bikers and one gets the mental image of a big, burly, tattooed, beer-guzzling rough-neck.
In reality, underneath their protective leather clothing, most bikers are ordinary folks - doctors,lawyers, retired people and others who just enjoy the thrill of riding the open roads on a motorcycle.
On the fourth Saturday in July each year, the local group, who call themselves Bikers with Big Hearts, hosts a charity ride with the proceeds of the event going to Camp Heartland near Willow River,Mn
Camp Heartland is a camp for children, who through no fault of their own, are living with HIV/AIDS.
Cal and Cindy Wolf, rural Eagle Bend, are coordinators of the event they started in 2002. Cal got the idea to sponsor a charity ride for Camp Hearland while watching the Oprah Show. She had Neil Willenson, founder and CEO of Camp Heartland, on her show. The camp has up to 150 kids per week that are all living with HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS weakens the immune system to where they can’t handle even the simple childhood dieseases like chicken pox or measles.
There are bikers that have come as far away as Fargo, Duluth, St.Cloud and Wild Rose, ND.
In the past years, they have given each child at the camp teddy bears, address books and many items from the camps wish list.
To find out more information about Camp Heartland and how you can help, please go to www.oneheartland.org
Here’s another shorter video if you’d like to check it out—it’s a little more up to date: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM5FdxWmUrY
Here is a video about our Camp Heartland Ride:
Here also is a video about camp Heartland: