BikerDown was founded in November of 2011 with the mission of helping injured riders in Colorado. Nothing could have ever prepared this nonprofit for the journey ahead and the diversity of the riders that we would meet. This mission has changed so drastically since 2011 as BikerDown continued to grow. Never did I anticipate that we would be so actively involved with an injured rider’s family and friends. I never anticipated the need for this nonprofit would be so great that we would help over 65 families with their motorcycle fatalities and over 150 accident help requests just within the state of Colorado in 2017.
The Bikerdown’s message has grown outside of Colorado and we currently receive 2-3 help requests nationwide every week. While BikerDown Colorado doesn’t give out of state injured riders Colorado funds, we do spend a lot of time with these families giving them emotional support and help with the process of getting through their recovery.
For many years, BikerDown has been asked to start chapters outside of the state of Colorado, but our Board never felt that we were ready to take on that responsibility. The Board felt that Biker Advocates needed to be trained and that we had to have the policies and procedures in place to take on that type of expansion.
I am happy to report that in May of 2018, BikerDown opened their first fully functional chapter in Las Vegas, Nevada. While it has come with the challenges of being a new chapter, BikerDown Las Vegas continues to help injured riders in Nevada. In July of 2018, BikerDown also partnered with the Randy Run for Fallen Bikers in Colorado to help bikers better; additionally,
BikerDown has added several biker advocates in Denver to assist with the daily Colorado help requests that we receive. This frees up my position to travel more to these other chapters for regular chapter meetings and training!
BikerDown National has now entered negotiations with organizations to start BikerDown chapters in Missouri and Arizona in 2018 and Utah in 2019. We have additionally spoken with individuals from Texas, Florida, Southern California and Wyoming who have asked to become biker advocates and work towards chapters in 2019.
This kind of growth couldn’t have happened without the Colorado community and the support we receive from riders every month. While BikerDown didn’t invent the concept of helping injured riders and there are many caring organizations nationwide helping injured riders every day, I do believe that the way BikerDown helps injured riders is the best!
Here we are, celebrating our 7th year anniversary, and I look back now and it seems like it was yesterday that 6 people sat at the Platte River Bar & Grill for the first meeting in August 2011. Many said this couldn’t be done, but hard work and a mission of caring for our fellow riders has proven that it can be done.
I look forward to reporting back in 7 more years and seeing how far we have grown in that time!
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