The Willie G. Experience

Willie G. Celeb Chair

It’s that time of year where charities try to rise above the steady drum beat of donation noise. 

It got me thinking about Harley-Davidson and MDA’s challenge to garner more rider attention and the ever important donations.  Then wham, this idea came to me…!

For the first time ever, what if you could spend a day or weekend with Willie G. and his friends in some unique place? Let’s call it the Willie G. Experience and it’s your exclusive opportunity to have a personal experience with your friends and the world’s most famous motorcycle figure to benefit MDA as you live it.  Willie G. is a veritable legend, with more cred than most music stars.  He doesn’t need the money, which is why he’s diligent in donating it to charity.

Below I’ve developed some package/donation choices for Willie G. to consider:

Willie G.

Phone Call Package – $2000.00 Donation to MDA:   One signed complete Sportster fuel tank and a phone call from Willie G.  Ask him anything. Tell him a story. Or just chit chat about your day… it’s up to you. Willie G. can also change your outgoing message on your voicemail.  Limit of 10 packages.

Lunch and Demo Package – $10,000.00 Donation to MDA:  You and 3 other people are invited to lunch and a demo ride session at H-D world headquarters, complete with a tour of the facilities. This will take place on a mutually agreeable date. This package also includes two complete Sportster fuel tanks. Your group will join up to 12 other individuals for this experience.  Each member of the group will receive a hand drawn motorcycle on a scrap piece of paper from the marketing design center where Willie G. works.

Happiest VIP On Earth Package – $25,000.00 Donation to MDA:  You and Willie G. spend the day at Disneyland with a VIP escort, meaning that you breeze to the front of every line. You will not believe how many rides you can hit in one day, and won’t have to wait for a table wherever you choose to eat. You can even have a “themed” H-D party if you want to do it up big. And you can try to beat Willie G. at Toy Story Mania. If you don’t succeed, we’ll just get right back on it. We’ll finish the day with dinner at Disney’s Club 33. This package also includes a signed complete Tri-Glide model fuel tank.

LA Harley Xperience Package  – $35,000.00 Donation to MDA:   I’ll pick you up at LAX on my 150hp Tri-Glide and we will visit cliché tourist spots (Hollywood sign, Sunset Blvd, Venice Beach, etc.) on our way to the motorcycle drag races. You will then have VIP passes to see any and all drag events or just sit in the press booth with me and a Peter Fonda look-a-like while I commentate the competition. Dinner is included at Sushi Nozawa, Matsuhisa or try some blowfish at The Hump… or we can get the true LA Paparazzi experience at Koi. This package also includes two replica signed “Captain America” fuel tanks.

Vegas, Baby, Vegas Package – $45,000.00 Donation to MDA:  We’ll fly from Milwaukee, WI — via private jet (yes, a private jet) to Vegas two nights before the MDA charity ride. Dinner at Simon (prepared by Kerry Simon himself), ride the NYNY rollercoaster (not necessarily in that order), play blackjack at a private table or we can hit Gameworks and play every arcade game known to man. Suite at Wynn included for three nights, then VIP passes to a mystery dinner event on Saturday.  Then we’ll return by private jet to Milwaukee on Sunday. This package also includes a H-D leather vest with H.O.G. logo and one signed complete Sportster model fuel tank.

Willie G. Bike

Milwaukee Family Day Package – $75,000.00 Donation to MDA:  You’ll come to my house and I will make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, then swimming in the backyard with me, Nancy and the grand-kids. From there we will hit Miller Brewing and my boys can show you all the coolest stuff in the “park.” Lunch at nearby Famous Dave’s, then come back to my place and play Xbox 360 games or guitar, then dinner at Maders. Taking the dogs out for a walk throughout the day is optional. We can also take the ’64 Panhead out for a cruise if I can get it started. This package also includes 3 signed complete Sportster model fuel tanks.

To make it easy people could pay for the Willie G. experience via a cashier’s check, wire transfer, credit card or PayPal.  And, your payment (after expenses) will constitute a donation to MDA and you’ll receive a letter acknowledging the portion of your payment that constitutes a contribution. 

Crazy idea?  Sure.  But what if there is a motorcycle enthusiast who loves ALL access to celeb’s and will think this is the ultimate fantasy?  Schmoozing with the famous…. like one night with your favorite rock star!  What’s that worth?  And with a donation tie in to the MDA charity, priceless?!  

Photos courtesy of H-D and ACM Awards.

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Bikers Have Heart

That’s not a reference to Valentine’s day, but in case you’ve lost your calendar it’s coming up on Saturday.

Instead I’m referring to the fund raising event hosted by D&S Harley-Davidson in Medford, OR.  The “Bikers Have Heart” event started a few years back when the community had a couple kids who were battling brain tumors and needed some special help. They created a Yahtzee Run – kind of a poker run, only with dice and a Yahtzee card that you’ll fill out along the way – and concluded with a street party at D&S including raffles and an auction.  In the last 8 years the event has raised over $100,000 for children in need.

This event has helped out some wonderful kids over the years and bikers have made lifelong friends. Some of the families they’ve helped come back each year to volunteer and help the next child in line to receive benefits. And 100% of what is raised stays in the Rogue Valley.  If they raise above the goal they’ve set for a family then the balance goes to the other children helped by the local Children’s Miracle Network.

The 2009 “Bikers Have Heart” fund raising and Yahtzee Run starts at D&S Harley on Saturday, May 2.  It’s the real deal and I encourage you to attend the event.

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Beauty, Bikes and Breaststroke

Amanda Beard

Something on the lighter side…I’ve kicked back and enjoyed the past few days of the Olympic Games because unlike many of you out there I dislike the Reality TV World and I find it interesting to see the physical and mental discipline of athletes who are at the top of their game for “5 minutes” of fame. 

Of course there is no lack of political baggage that comes with the Olympics from the Tibetan advocates to China’s human rights record.

But, speaking of the physical discipline there is no one drawing more attention inside or outside the Olympics for that matter than swimmer Amanda Beard.  She recently picked up a Ducati Monster motorcycle and told Sports Illustrated that she likes long motorcycle rides with brief stops at different swim clubs while doing clinics for kids.

Amanda might be a motorcycle riding compassionate U.S. Olympic athlete, but she’s received a lot of notoriety with an anti-fur ad she did-naked-for PETA.  She took time from her busy training schedule to bare her skin to help save animals’ skins – all in the interest to raise awareness of the cruelty inherent in the fur industry.

There are many people who don’t like it, don’t appreciate it, feel like she’s ruining the sport or giving female athletes a bad name and I’m sure there are just as many who love it, and feel like it brings more attention to swimming.  Say what you will about the anti-fur ad — Amanda is a top tier athlete with accomplishments to date being:

OLYMPIC MEDALS

Gold 1996 Atlanta 4x100m medley relay

Silver 1996 Atlanta 100 m breaststroke

Silver 1996 Atlanta 200 m breaststroke

 

Bronze 2000 Sydney 200 m breaststroke

Gold 2004 Athens 200 m breaststroke

Silver 2004 Athens 200 m individual medley

Silver 2004 Athens 4×100 m medley relay

 

Photo: Jewel Samad AFP/Getty Images

With China hosting the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, the ad may have come at just the right time. An investigation into the fur industry in China-states they supply more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the U.S.  Of course the cruelty of the fur industry does not end at the borders of China.

 

So those of you who had enough spectator badminton, synchronized swimming, ping pong, and trampoline—all which should, of course, be performed in the nude you can send your “Olympic Moment” petition to his Excellency Ambassador Zhou Wenzhong and state you’d rather go naked with, I mean like Amanda than wear fur. 

What about leather riding gear?  I’m conflicted on this one.  There is a lot more info at the Cows R Cool web site which offers up synthetic “skin-free” alternatives.  

Check it out.

Updated: August 14th 17:10 PDT – LA Times is reporting that the US Team Captain failed to advance out of the prelim’s.  She didn’t even make it out of the heats finishing 18th with 2 min and 27.70 sec.  Maybe she was too distracted in “pressing-the-flesh” for her cause?  Most unfortunate.

 

Photo courtesy PETA

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MDA Hope Ride

The MDA Hope Ride was held September 16th in Portland. It was sponsored by MDA, Columbia Harley-Davidson, Paradise Harley-Davidson and Salem Harley Davidson. The event was also supported by Harley Owner Groups (HOG). Riders arrived at Alderbrook Park, where the Duffy Bishop Band played and a bike show, barbeque, and other activities where held.

This MDA event helps fight against neuromuscular disease. A great charitable cause!

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