THUNDER BAY – Local members of a motorcycle ministry spent part of their long weekend to help a community organization launch an expansion of their services.
Despite overcast skies, rain held off on Saturday as Bikers for Christ held a fundraising motorcycle ride in support of Teen Challenge and its efforts to establish a women’s long-term addiction recovery program.
Tom Thompson, the Bikers for Christ regional elder, said the organization is a worthy case and the event had already surpassed their $5,000 goal before riders departed.
“I’ve always admired that Teen Challenge has stepped up. It’s not just a normal rehab program where you’re in for a couple of months and then they kick you out and you’re on your own,” Thompson said before the ride kicked into gear.
“This is a discipleship program where it’s a full year and they do literally help people break those addictions and then they follow up and the guys have lives that are changed and now they have opportunity to do that with women.”
About two dozen riders left the Redwood Park Church, travelling to hit four checkpoints on a route that took them out to Kakabeka Falls and back into the heart of the city to the Thunder Centre before returning to their starting point.
While the group’s mission might clash with the stereotypes typically associated with motorcycle clubs, Thompson said the ministry is about building relationships.
Robby Ahjua, the Northwestern Ontario director for Teen Challenge, said he was excited when the group told him they wanted to help.
“There’s no long-term residential care for women with life controlling addictions in the 807 area code so we really see the need and we want to fill that need,” Ahuja said. “Our goal is to have the home open by Oct. 1.”
Ahuja said in addition to the current men’s residential program, the organization offers youth programming for drug and violence prevention through outreach at correctional facilities and schools, along with community support groups for loved ones of people with addiction and for people who can’t go into the one-year program.
The goal is to start out with 10 beds for the new women’s program, he added.
