On August 20, 2016, Roanoke Rapids will be welcoming the 10th Annual Gregory B. Davis Foundation and Collier Harley Davidson Bike Ride for a Cause. For the past 10 years the Gregory B. Davis Foundation has partnered with Collier to attract over 100 riders to Ride for a Cause on a 100 plus mile route. Each year riders come from as far North as Baltimore and as far South as Charlotte and they do it all to make a difference in the lives of others. “This bike ride is a different type of environment where everyone meets on common ground despite differences whether ethnic, cultural, professional or occupational. Some people ride because it’s just a fun thing to do and some come because they want to ride for a cause. There are always good causes that people are riding for”, says Valencia Davis who co-chairs this annual event alongside the event lead, Dr. Maurice Davis. This year the Northampton and Halifax Counties Caregiver Support Programs will benefit from the generosity and fun times of the riders. Recipient organizations from previous bike rides will be recognized as well at this year’s event.
Not only is the Bike Ride for a Cause an event dedicated to benefitting the community, but it also is a time to celebrate, break bread, and fellowship. At this year’s event not only will there be a DJ, special 10th anniversary t-shirts for participants, rest stop beverages, and end of ride food and refreshments, but those who travel the farthest, the club who rides with the most members, and the bike with the prettiest spit shine will all receive trophies to take home for bragging rights. One Roanoke Rapids native, Mr. Tanna Blount, has made the GBDF Bike Ride one of his annual rides and hasn’t missed one yet. In a recent interview Mr. Blount talked about the rides, “Even when my Harley wasn’t road worthy I still came to show support and they still gave me a gift for coming out.” This year Mr. Blount says he is looking forward to getting the award for the oldest rider, because he will be embracing year 81 on his birthday, August 27th, following the race. In a laughing tone, Mr. Blount also said, “If I’m not the oldest that’s okay too, I still plan to come and have a good time. I always do.”
Far too many times Caregivers are left alone to do the hard labor of love that is, taking care of a loved one whose health has failed them. When one person becomes ill they are often times not alone when faced with the arduous journey of recovery and in some cases facing permanent changes in their quality of life and abilities to care for themselves. Those who stand in the gap often times volunteer to be the bridge between life and death for those facing illness and/or disability. As a bridge, caregivers also accomplish super-human feats of taking care of their own personal responsibilities while simultaneously selflessly comforting their loved ones through their most difficult times. Dr. Maurice Davis also acknowledged how being a caregiver for his mother has bonded him closer to the community, “they see my siblings and I caring for our mother and they want to know how we are able to do it and often times it has to do with sharing the responsibilities and cooperating with each other to participate in the process of caring for our Mother and one another. We know of this all too well in that our father passed away from Alzheimer’s. We give honor to him as well as we bring attention to caregiving.”
After feeling and hearing the community of caregivers reaching out for solutions and strategies, the GBDF Officers and Board asked, “Who is taking care of the caregiver? Why not us”? In order to prevent caregiver burnout and to show caregivers that they are not alone and their community supports their selfless efforts to be a bridge for their loved ones, Gregory B. Davis Foundation decided to dedicate the 2016 Bike Ride for a Cause to Caregiver Support Programs of Northampton and Halifax counties. Edna Davis-Brown, GBDF President, shares that “this 10th Anniversary Ride is a very special milestone and has an important cause; moreover, it’s really amazing that we’ve been doing this in the community for ten years now. We are so proud to be a part of something much bigger than all of us and it reminds me of what the late Muhammad Ali said, “service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."
Formed in 2000, the Gregory B. Davis Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to enhance the lives of youth and their families by developing and supporting health-related and educational programs, and initiatives targeting Eastern North Carolina.
Registration for the ride is $20 and begins at 10:00 a.m. August 20, 2016 at Collier Harley- Davidson, 316 Premier Blvd. in Roanoke Rapids. The ride will start at 11:00 a.m. The ride route will be posted at www.gbdf.org. For more information, to preregister, donate funds, or volunteer your time, contact Dr. Maurice Davis at 252-535-3718 after 5:00 p.m.