The annual East Coast motorcycle ride is about camaraderie, brotherhood, and a chance to give back. It proves the IBEW isn’t just about learning a trade, but about the union between its members.
This is a ride that has become so popular because it never disappoints. The 2019 ride started out in Charleston, and made a big, 163-mile loop through the rolling mountains of West Virginia. Almost every rider agrees how awesome the rolling roads in West Virginia are. You focus on the road, and all the stress of home or work is gone.
The fact that everyone comes together to raise money for a great cause makes the ride even better. It has become customary for the brotherhood to extend a hand to charity. This year, they raised over $25,000 for the Gary Sinise Foundation and their Snowball Express program, which serves the children of fallen military heroes.
Jerry Westerholm took a moment to honor and remember International President Ed Hill who passed away within the past year. Patches were distributed to honor President Ed Hill, as he was one of the originators of the ride back when it was just a handful of brothers, and a yearly participant.
IBEW brother Sean from IBEW Local 98 said, “When you’re riding… you could be looking at a mountain on your left, there’s a gorge on your right going down 1300-1400 feet. You live, smell, see, and hear it. Everything about being on a bike is about the environment you’re in.”
Bikes and brothers, brothers and their bikes. It is a tradition that is alive and well in the form of the annual IBEW East Coast motorcycle ride. We’ll see you next year!
(607 views)
