By Alesha Capone
Judy Teuma, of Hoppers Crossing, and Tony Graham, of Werribee, are both members of the Red Knights Motorcycle Club Australia Chapter 10, the local branch of a national motorcycle club for riders who have a connection to firefighting, including career and volunteer firefighters.
The club will hold a PJ Run on November 16, to aid of a family violence response centre. For the ride, participants wear pajamas over their motorcycle gear.
Tell me about the PJ Run.
Judy: Last year, we held the PJ Run for the first time. We collected 133 pairs of PJs, which were all donated to the Safe Steps family violence response centre, for women and children who stay there, and also raised $400 for the centre. We were also on the Channel 7 and Channel 9 news.
This year will be the second time we’re holding the PJ Run. We’re starting at MacDonalds on the Western Ring Road in Sunshine, then riding to Docklands, then Gisborne and from Gisborne to the Phoenix Hotel in Point Cook.
The hotel supports our annual fundraising poker run, so we support them be taking everyone back there for lunch.
If motorcyclists want to join us at these different stages of the ride, we aim to meet at the Maccas at 8am and leave around 8.45am, get to Docklands around 9.15am, to be at Gisborne by 11-11.15am, leave by 12.15pm and we will arrive at the Phoenix no later than around 1.30pm.
Has the community thrown their support behind the event?
Judy: We’d like to send a big thank you to Mossfiel Primary School for their support, they published details of the ride in their newsletter and also have a box at the school for people to put donations of pajamas in.
Tony: Anyone’s welcome to attend the ride, it’s only a social ride – not a race.
What other fundraising activities does the club do?
Tony: We will do a poker run on February 15 next year, to raise money for the Werribee Mercy Hospital’s Children’s Ward. We will also have a Bon Jovi tribute band playing, at the Truganina Pony Club, as part of the event.
We like to show people that all bikers aren’t crazy or bad people. We’re all local fireys, or were, so we raise money for the local community.
The cost to participate in the PJ Run will be $10 for riders and $5 for pillions, funds raised will go towards the Safe Steps family violence response centre. See www.facebook.com/events/701471896890830/ for details.
Donations of pajamas can be made during business hours at the Star Weekly office, 75 Watton Street, Werribee.
