Realities Rally Rumbles Ft. Collins

By Alicia McNally

Riders at the Ninth Annual Realities Ride & Rally didn’t just show up for the 75-degree weather and cloudless skies in Loveland. They showed up to do something positive…and they showed up by the thousands.

“We’ve been doing this since its first year,” said Ken Love of Longmont, who rode into the rally in Fort Collins with his wife, Mary. “It’s a great cause.”

Between 3000 and 4000 riders joined in the 100-mile poker run that stretched from Thunder Mountain Harley in Loveland, to the after ride festivities in Old Town Fort Collins. As Realities Riders started trickling into the festivities along the quaint shops of Walnut and Linden streets, excitement clearly began to build. The crowd enjoyed live entertainment, hot food and plenty of cold beer to go around. Festivities kicked off May 28th with concerts featuring local bands all weekend, up to and after Sunday’s Ride. Fun was the order of the day, but it wasn’t all about fun.

All proceeds—100%-- from the 3,000 to 4,000 riders who registered for the ride, as well as additional donations from the weekend went to Realities For Children, an organization that provides emergency funding to abused, neglected and underprivileged youth in Larimer County. This year, donations from registered riders and festivities totaled to nearly $100,000, according to Realities founder and president Craig Secher.

“We’re a unique organization in that 100 percent of donations directly serve children with no administrative costs, Secher said. “We’ll serve thousands of children a year. We’ve served 1400 children in a single month.”

The Realities For Children Charities Fund provides emergency funding to abused or neglected youth when other options have been exhausted.

“We had an emergency request for a child who was placed somewhere and didn’t have a bed to sleep in. In that case, often times we can purchase a bed,” Secher said. “We also have a great social network using Facebook and Twitter. For example, we can put out announcements asking if someone has an available bed or crib or car seat. It’s an effective tool to use the dollars we already have.”

Funds are dispersed faster than the quickest rider at the Realities Run.

“If you have an urgent funds request, you will receive a response within 60 minutes,” says Secher’s voicemail to his personal cell phone, as well as the voicemail messages of their offices in Fort Collins.

In 2008, more than 10,000 children were investigated and confirmed victims of child abuse or neglect in Colorado, according to statistics from the Colorado Department of Human Services. Although national child abuse cases experienced a dip that same year, as shown in a report released in April by the Department of Health and Human Services, the rate of fatalities has risen 30 percent in less than ten years. The state of Colorado is ranked as the third worst state for child abuse deaths per capita.

Realities For children compensates its two only paid employees through one-year “memberships,” or monthly fees paid by local businesses. In return, members receive discounts and marketing services through Realities events.

“The Biker community is probably one of the most invested, not only in the fundraising but also in awareness,” Secher said. “When you have thousands of people riding in the name of child abuse, that’s powerful.”

It’s fun, too.