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When you left your home on the morning of August 19th, you probably were just hoping that you wouldn't get rained on. After you arrived at Loop for Life, had a coffee, bagel or a piece of fruit and talked to a few friends, you may have kept your rain gear on. After your second cup, you saw over 1000 motorcycles parked and a steady stream of riders continue to come into the fairground but, the sky was still overcast.
At 11:00 you watched the Drill Team perform, then listened to some rules of the road and a short blessing for all the riders, people in our armed forces and few friends and the sky started to look a little brighter. You saddled up with about 2500 other brothers and sisters and headed out of the fairgrounds and things were looking up. When you hit I-465 the sun was starting to peak through just when you got up to speed rolling at about 45 mph. By the time you got to the airport it was getting sunny and it only got better all the way back to the fairgrounds.
Later on, walking around the vendor midway and the bike show, with live music in the background you enjoyed your Brat and thought what a wonderful day for a ride. Someone was looking down on us as we all worked and rode together today raising money for the Loop for Life.
Please check back later this week and give us time to add more photo's, stories and information on the website. Thank you to all of you who made the Loop for Life a success.
Ride Safe and we will see you at the next Loop for Life!
Iron Butts Ride to the Loop
We noticed some people had registered from Texas and we contacted them to ask how they heard about the Loop for Life and were impressed by their response. The Director of American Eagle Harley Owners Group chapter in Denton County Texas (just Northwest of Dallas) has an Indiana connection and was born in Greenfield and grew up in the Oaklandon/McCordsville area.
Don Riley bought his first Harley in 2001 and August 2001, visited his brother Dan Riley and they watched the Loop for Life from an overpass. Since then he always wanted to participate in the ride.
On Friday August 19th Don, Assistant Director, Art Fleming, and chapter Treasurer, Dave Gan are planning to do an Iron Butt ride from Lewisville Texas to McCordsville. They will depart at 4AM taking I-35 north to Kansas City then pickup I-70 east to Indy. According to mapping software, this should be about 1050 miles. They hope to accomplish this in about 16.5 to 17 hours which would qualify them for the Iron Butt.
We wish you all the best of luck on this ride to McCordsville, IN and look forward to seeing you the following day at the Loop for Life!
  
Thanks from a Loop Supporter
Dear Loop For Life organizers,
I am sending along my collage of our experience. First of all I must thank you all for wonderful time we had. I cannot imagine putting such an event together! And then to see the turnout, wow! I do not consider myself a "biker" per se but I will definitely be back next year with my husband.
The collage represents the reason my husband Dave and I did the ride. Eight years ago we lost our daughter Shayla Renea to complications from Dermatomyositis. Dermatomyositis is one of the forty diseases that MDA researches and treats. They are constantly looking for answers into this rare disease. Dermatomyositis causes the body to start destroying the blood vessels in the muscles. It starts with the proximal muscles first causing weakness and deterioration and then onto the other muscles including the muscles of the lungs and heart. Shayla died just 5 months after being diagnosed with the disease. What took her short life remains a mystery as she was one of the lucky ones in that we caught the disease early and she was responding well to treatment. It is believed to have been a brain aneurysm but why we will probably never know. We are however grateful to the MDA for there for having such wonderful doctors that care so much about these children. At the time Shayla was diagnosed, we had no medical insurance. MDA did not care, Shayla got the treatment she needed and the care she deserved and for that we will be eternally grateful. Her love of life is a legacy that lives on in my family and she still touches lives even today!
When my husband told me about the Loop for Life and the charity it raises money for, I simply could not turn the opportunity down! What a way to show our support for MDA and enjoy a great ride with wonderful people. I wore a shirt with my daughters' picture on it in her memory. As we rode onto the loop, tears filled my eyes and were soon running down my face. I simply could not believe so many people could show so much support! I was in total "awe" of the sight. I don't think I was able to completely compose myself for the rest of the ride but was still able to wave at the bystanders (Through my tears of course!) .
The fact that this was the eight year of this event and Shayla has been gone for eight years made the ride even more meaningful. Again, I look forward to coming back next year and the year after........
Please continue the wonderful work you all do, it is for such a worthy cause!
Hats off to you all and may God bless each and everyone of you. :-}
Most Sincerely, Anita M. Fouse
Fransisco "Pancho" Riojas
Fransisco "Pancho" Riojas 49, Indianapolis, passed away August 4, 2003, less than two weeks before the Loop for Life. His wife Suzanne Riojas, was going through some of his things and found a pledge sheet for the Loop for Life, that he wanted to attend.
Suzanne contacted the Loop for Life and Harvey Mover, President arranged for her to come to the event. Although she did not want to ride, Harvey accepted Pancho's jacket from her, which he put on the top of his tour pack while he was on the ride. The Loop for Life felt honored to be a part of this special moment and meet Suzanne.
Suzanne is pictured between Harvey and his wife Debra.
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