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17th All-American Bike Show caps annual March of Dimes drive
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Randy Cramer, an employee at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Lordstown, and his wife, Vicky, were among those who rode their motorcycles into the facility as part of a March of Dimes fund drive.
LORDSTOWN
The home of the Chevrolet Cruze willingly shared its floor with another American brand Thursday in an effort to raise money to help premature infants.
The sound of Harley- Davidson motorcycles as they rode down the hall into a central area of Lordstown General Motors plant drowned out any other sound during the plant’s first shift.
Around 50 Harley- Davidson motorcycles were in the East complex for the 17th Annual UAW-GM All-American Bike Show, which closes the plant’s annual fund drive for March of Dimes. This year’s effort raised $5,000 for the organization.
The staff at Lordstown has been “awesome” to work with, said Simone Hayes, regional manager for the March of Dimes. “We greatly appreciate the work that you do,” she said.
The March of Dimes this year donated $2 million for research in Ohio on the topic of premature birth, Hayes said.
Research like that would not be possible without fundraising efforts such as the one in Lordstown, she said.
There are three reasons for this event. The first is to celebrate “another great American product,” said Glenn Johnson, president of United Auto Workers 1112, referring to the Harley- Davidsons.
The second is to remind people that cars and trucks share the road with motorcycles, he said.
“We try and have this event every year in May because it’s Motorcycle Safety Month. If you look twice, you can save a life,” Johnson said.
The third reason is to raise money for March of Dimes, he said.
The goal is to support research that could allow every child to be born healthy, Johnson said.
“There are none of us who are parents who don’t feel that way,” he said.
“I can’t think of a better cause than March of Dimes,” said Rick Demuynck, assistant plant manager. Everyone here supports research that would help children to be born healthy, he said.