Bikers turn out to raise funds for starved US children
Published: February 5, 2006
Julie Wisbar of Carson City said she looked out her office window Jan. 19 and noticed a little girl with a shopping cart full of food and blankets sitting on the curb beside her car. Less than a minute later, a Carson City deputy pulled over to talk to the girl.
The girl was the 41-pound, 16-year-old who police say escaped the bathroom her parents had locked her and her 11-year-old brother in for five years.
“Because I couldn’t do anything for her then, I’ll do something for her now,” Wisbar said, checking her handful of raffle tickets Saturday afternoon at T’s Tavern, 3679 S. Carson St. in Carson City.
Hundreds of bikers from local clubs packed T’s Tavern, paying $10 to get into the place, shoving money into cans on the bar and purchasing raffle tickets to donate to the Second Chance Fund. The fund benefits the two malnourished children who are recovering.
“I saw this little girl in my parking lot with stuff crammed into a shopping cart,” Wisbar said. “That alone was devastating to me.”
Thomas “Scarecrow” Fletcher, a member of the Righteous Ones motorcycle club, estimated it had raised at least $2,000 after only two hours.
Pam Callahan, assistant to the sheriff, said Friday that $20,000 had been raised, overall, for the fund. “What’s really amazing is how far away it’s coming,” Callahan said. “I got a call from Australia.”
Chrystal Main of Nevada’s Child and Family Services Division, said she’s received DVDs, toys and other items for the children. One pediatric neurologist in Reno donated services, and a Carson City salon has offered to cut both children’s hair when they are well enough, she said.
“These children have stolen our hearts,” Main said.
Three adults at the apartment were charged with two counts of child abuse, two counts of child neglect and two counts of false imprisonment. The mother of the children, Regina Rios, 33, grandmother Esther Rios, 56, and the mother’s boyfriend Tomas Granados, 33, are in the Carson City Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Their latest court hearing moved from Friday to Feb. 24.
Biker groups came from Reno, Carson City, Lake Tahoe and Truckee, Fletcher said.
Each group raises funds for a different cause, said Mando “Hollywood” Corona of the Boozefighters motorcycle club of Northern Nevada.
“We try to do this as much as we can,” said Corona, who organizes an annual “Blood Run” for hemophilia patients. “Even as bikers, we lead a different lifestyle, but our kids always come first. Most of us have kids and we wouldn’t treat our kids like that.”
Alan “Suelo” Bansuelo of Reno rode to Carson City with about 15 other members of the Marines motorcycle club. (All are former Marines).
“This just shows you how family-oriented (bikers) are, and we care about what’s going on in our community,” Bansuelo said. “Everything just broke my heart.”
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