Piscataquis UBM busy riding for many charities

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — From the early spring through the fall, members of the United Bikers of Maine  (UBM) Piscataquis County — which consists of about 80 total members including several who do not own a motorcycle — head out on the highway to enjoy rides across the region and beyond. The motorcyclists are usually riding for more than just themselves, but to raise money for individuals in need, organizations and other charitable events.

    “We really do so much for this town and surrounding area,” UBM Piscataquis County Secretary Karen Goodman said during a recent meeting at the Bear’s Den in Dover-Foxcroft where the organization gathers the third Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. “We earn a lot of money for people around here and we make sure it stays here,” she said. “One of our main focuses is to help people in the county.”
    Goodman said a ride in April helped raise $1,100 for the Robbie Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting children with developmental disabilities. “We earn this money by charging for rides, and we design and sell our own T-shirts.”
    UBM Piscataquis County Treasurer Roxane Hart said the organization sells sponsorship space on the T-shirts as she, Goodman and County Director Jon Prescott all expressed their gratitude to the many T-shirt sponsors and other businesses who support the UBM Piscataquis County. Goodman said the managers and employees of Hardwood Products/Puritan Medical in Guilford have been very supportive of UBM Piscataquis County and its rides for various cancer-related programs.
    “We have been doing cancer rides,” Prescott said, as a past year’s ride raised over $3,000 for the Save the Ta-tas Foundation which deals with breast cancer. “That turned into an annual cancer ride, with a different cancer every year.”
    “Then we did Breath of Life,” Hart said, which raised approximately $2,500 with the money being distributed to five Piscataquis County residents coping with lung cancer. “The money helped them any way it could,” Goodman added.
    “Last summer we did a ride for Camp Rainbow,” Hart said as $1,200 was raised for the American Cancer Society’s camp for children and families, including some from Piscataquis County. “We rode all the way to Ellsworth in the pouring rain.”
    “We did a ride for the PAWS animal shelter,” Prescott said, as the ride collected pet food and animal items. “We also collected for a (Dover-Foxcroft) food cupboard when we did PAWS,” Goodman said.
    Prescott said several weeks ago UBM Piscataquis County collected over $225 to purchase items for the Partnership Food Pantry, which serves the Guilford and Greenville areas. The funds were raised during a UBM Piscataquis County Night at the Bear’s Den, with donations and a 50/50 raffle benefiting the food purchases. The three officers all thanked Bear’s Den owner Brian Westman for hosting the night, providing a regular meeting space and his continual support of UBM Piscataquis County.
    “Of course we do a toy run every year, the whole state does that,” Prescott said as various UBM chapters from across Maine head down to Augusta. “We bring a truckload back for the Santa programs,” Hart said, as toys are provided for needy children in RSU 68 and SAD 4 and 41 as well as stuffed animals to be given to children in the hospital and those who come in contact with area police departments.
    “We stay together in the winter, we go tubing and we have gone bowling,” Hart said about activities taking place when the weather is unseasonable for motorcycle rides. “We have a lot of Tuesday night rides to go to local businesses,” she added when the seasons enable the UBM Piscataquis County members to travel together.
    “We try to do charity stuff, but that’s not all we do,” Prescott said. “We try to do education as far as motorcyclists go,” Prescott said, as the UBM is a motorcycle rights organization. He said the UBM Piscataquis County works with legislation concerning motorcycles “and safety education for members and any motorcyclist in general.
    “I go to meetings once a month where we discuss legislation and I bring the information back,” he said about sessions with other UBM officials from throughout Maine. “We try to keep everyone informed of what’s going on. We try to fight for the rights of people who ride motorcycles.”
    “We are always looking to do new things,” Goodman said, with college scholarships one idea being considered. Prescott said the UBM Piscataquis County may conduct membership drives at some of the area’s summer events, such as the Piscataquis River Festival in Guilford and the Piscataquis Valley Fair in Dover-Foxcroft.
    A pair of events are scheduled for later in the month, the first being a benefit supper for Dover-Foxcroft resident Steve Mace, and UBM Piscataquis County member, who is battling cancer. The potluck meal, with attendance paid for by donation, will be held at the Dover-Foxcroft American Legion at 112 Park Street on Friday, June 21 starting at 5 p.m. For more information, call Goodman at 564-3073 or Hart at 876-2580.
    The fourth annual cancer ride will take place on Saturday, June 29, with proceeds benefiting several Piscataquis County children coping with brain cancer — a pair of teenagers and a 4-year-old. The ride is scheduled to leave Irving’s on West Main Street at 10 a.m. as the procession will travel to Millinocket and back with a trip through Howland. For more information call Prescott at 876-2580 or Goodman at 564-3073
    For more information on the United Bikers of Maine Piscataquis County, please go to the organization website at http://piscubm.tripod.com or find them on Facebook.