Motorcyclists Raise More Than $5,000 for Special Olympics

The hosted their 15th annual motorcycle "Poker Run" Saturday morning, which raised an estimated $5,000 for the Virginia Special Olympics. Over 115 motorcycle riders ignored the rain and chilly temperatures to ride from Leesburg to Frederick and Brunswick, MD, a 122 mile long ride. 

“It was cold and wet and miserable,” said John Wittenburg of Leesburg, who rode a Harley Davidson during the event. “It rained the whole time. My fingers got frostbit.”

In previous years, the ride has taken place the first Saturday in June. However, despite the Fall temperatures, 117 riders on 94 different bikes, came out to show their support, including a mixed breed named Sevey, who rode behind owner Alan Ribner, of Leesburg.

Ribner said the two have piled up more than 70,000 miles together since he rescued her from homelessness, at a 7-Eleven, in Lovettsville. She wears protective goggles and loves to ride, letting him know with her “happy barks,” Ribner said.  

As each bike left the Virginia State Police Station early Saturday morning, the rumble of their motors was punctuated with the happy barks of Sevey.

Participants drew the first of five cards for their poker hand before stopping in Frederick, Boonsboro, and Brunswick, MD, where they picked up one more card each. They completed their poker hands with the fifth card back in Leesburg, finishing around 2 p.m.

The winning hand, three of a kind with nines as the “three,” was held by Charles Mumaw, a public works employee in the Village of Waterford. He won a new set of tires for his Tahoe.

Almost 100 prizes were also awarded in a raffle drawing conducted by MPO Bill Wolff of Leesburg Police, the organizer of the event 15 years ago. Wolff said he was inspired by a former member of the who had raised money for the Special Olympics for a number of years.  

“We had a new chief come in 14 years ago and he came from Herndon,” Wolff said. “That police department always did separate types of fundraisers for Special Olympics and we didn’t really do a whole lot. So I thought, ‘Well, we’ve got this new chief coming in. We better make it look like we’re somebody’.”

Since then, the annual event has been a success. Breakfast for all was provided by in Leesburg and lunch came from Famous Dave’s Barbeque in Sterling. A total of 87 raffle prizes had been donated by local merchants.

“When we go in and talk to someone with a uniform, they are more inclined to support the Special Olympics with a donation”, Wolff said.  “[The event] is a way to get all of the motorcycles together. It’s kind of a comrade type thing. They spend a little bit of money, we give them breakfast and lunch and they get to win some good prizes. The Special Olympics benefits in the end.”

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