Wind & Fire Motorcycle Club
Chronology
UPDATED 2020
Who we are:
·
Wind
& Fire Motorcycle Club is a united group of firefighters who ride Harley-Davidson®
motorcycles. Presently we have over 5,000 members and 191 chapters. We have
members living in 49 states and 24 countries.
· Wind & Fire MC has a secondary focus which is charity.
April 1991 - W&F MC was founded
· Wind & Fire MC Inc was founded by Jerry Eibert, a 30 year veteran firefighter and a member of I.A.F.F. Local #2046, Jerry lives in Santa Barbara California and as member #1, signed John Denning member #2 and with this Wind & Fire MC was born.
W&F Club Runs:
·
The
club annually organizes over 34 charity motorcycle events around the world,
which primarily benefit children - burn injured children, kids with cancer,
needy kids at Christmas and children in the hospital.
· W&F MC operates a unique run, it's Burn Camp Runs, in which members ride to summer camps for burn injured children. Presently 19 of these runs are in existence.
Honorary Membership:
· The Club has an Honorary Membership program through which a Harley rider is recognized for having done something outstanding for the community or the club.
May 24, 1991
·
W&F Patch placed at "The Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Wall" in Washington D.C. (Carried across the USA by motorcycle on Run For
The Wall)
December 8, 1991
· First W&F Chapter in the USA " Santa Barbara Chapter" (Members #1,2,3,4,5,6 &13)
December 1992
· First member outside of the USA "Richard Shearing from Great Britain"
January 1993
· First Club Newsletter Editor: John Denning (Printed Volume 1, Issue#1)
August 1993
· First Associate Member "Mike Conboy" (Honorary Member IAFF Local 493, Phoenix IAFF)
September 6, 1993
· First Honorary W&F Member was U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell.
September 30, 1993
· Second Honorary W&F Member was Dan Klemencic, editor "THE ENTHUSIAST".
January 1994
· Wind & Fire MC "Colors" Maltese Patch
March 14, 1994
· First W&F Chapter outside of the USA "W&F Chapter Malmö" (Sweden)
April 1994
· Third Honorary W&F Member Artie Muller Co-founder of "ROLLING THUNDER" Washington D.C.
June 1994
·
First
W&F Burn Camp Run - Wonder Valley "Champ Camp" near Fresno
California: Original idea for Burn Runs came from Bill Cadam member #6.
Other1994 inaugural burn
runs were held in Denver, Colorado and Bellwood, Illinois and around the world.
April 1995
· Fourth Honorary W&F Member Edward Friend - Host "KIDS ADVENTURE ZONE" and named RED CROSS "HERO" for volunteer work.
August 1995
· First W&F MC National Rally: Hill City, South Dakota (Members attended from California, Colorado, Washington, Illinois, Kansas and British Columbia, Canada)
April 1996
· Fifth Honorary W&F Member Oliver Shokouh - Founder of the "LOVE RIDE" for MDA
September 1996
· W&F MC Charter Membership Est. (100 Supporting Members)
April 1997
· Sixth Honorary W&F Member Jay Leno -- MDA Support and Positive Image of Motorcyclist
April 1998
· Seventh Honorary W&F Member Dave Barr - H-D World Rider & Advocate for those with disabilities. Click here for picture of Dave.
May 1998
· First W&F MC Charity Run outside of the USA for the Lund University Hospital Children's Clinic Lund, Sweden; Chapters Lund & Malmö.
August 1998
· First W&F MC Executive Director - Randy Coleman
April 1999
· First W&FMC Board of Directors: Randy Coleman - Chairman, John Robbins, Don Tompkins, Don Stewart, William Trinkl, Gregg Murphy and Jerry Eibert
April 1999
· The Honorary Member for 1999 is KYLE PETTY. Kyle is a third generation Stock Car Racer. He has a natural love for the sport, but he has another love, Harley-Davidson's. His love for Harley-Davidson motorcycles led to the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. The event is a means to raise money for a number of different charities, last year’s ride raised over $1,000,000.00. Click here for a picture of Kyle.
May 1999
· W&F MC's first Southeastern Rally: Myrtle Beach, SC
August 1999
· Easyriders' story "250,000 Miles On A Shoftail" by Evo Red, details W&F MC's focus and includes color photo of club patch.
November 1999
· Members Came Together to "Make a Statement" showing support for Dave Barr
November 1999
· W&F MC webpage address changed to www.windandfiremc.org (the efforts of Randy Coleman, Executive Director and John Robbins, webmaster)
February 2, 2000
· "Wind & Fire MC" Incorporated in the State of California #2211297
March 27, 2000
· The "Bronze ©" sculpture statue of our logo was commissioned by sculptor Jean Cherie
Click here to see the bronze statue
April 2000
· Honorary Member #9 was New York Myke Shelby. Wind & Fire MC's San Diego Chapter had a luncheon with presentation honoring Myke as the Honorary Member for the year 2000 at Chuey's on April 11th.
April 7, 2000
· W&F MC's 1,000th Member - Scott Heimesath, Chicago FD
April 29, 2000
· W&F MC's First Southwestern Rally: Laughlin, NV.
July 7 to August 13, 2000
· W&F MC's "Founder's Tour / Europe 2000" - 8,100 mile tour of Europe. Jerry Eibert meeting with members from Belgium, Germany, Sweden, England, Scotland, Norway, Solvenia and the USA.
September 2000
· W&F MC's First European Director - Eddy Styven
October 11, 2000
· W&F MC's 1,000th "Full Member", Firefighter/Harley-rider, "Kimberlee Ledesma", Los Angeles County Fire Department.
January 2001
· W&F MC's first elected International Club President - John (JR) Robbins
April 2001
· 10th Anniversary of W&FMC: 1,247 members, 13 countries, 51 chapters
April 2001
· Tenth Honorary Member, Dave Nichols - Easyriders' Magazine
April 2001
· Wind & Fire MC "Oval Pin" designed: Large (1.5" with cutouts) Rally Pin; Small (1.25" with color fill - 1st year light blue) Charity Pin.
April 21, 2001
· First Burn Survivor Day Antwerp, Belgium: hosted by W&F Diamond Chapter
July 15 to August 7, 2001
· W&F MC 10th Anniversary Tour: Laughlin NV to Washington, DC to Hill City, SD. (250 people & one dog signed the logbook; 16 members rode all-the-way, riding over 9,000 in 30 days)
August 2001
· Long sleeve custom black Rugby shirt voted official W&F "shirt"
September 11, 2001
· A day we will all "remember" 343 FDNY firefighters died in the Twin - Towers
October 2001
· Don Tompkins appointed W&F Executive Director
December 2001
· W&F FDNY Remembrance Patch "9-11 343" in memory of the 343 FDNY members lost on 9-11-2001
April 2002
· Eleventh Honorary Member: Paul Reimer, community & veterans support, crisis counseling.
April 2002
· Harley-Davidson's scarlet red Firefighter Edition motorcycles arrive on scene
July 6, 2002
· Southwestern Rally: site moved to Hollister, California
August 2002
· Easyriders' story "Firing Through Europe" by Evo Red" three pages of text and 18 photos of the "Founders Tour", Jerry Eibert's 8,000 mile ride through 15 countries visiting Wind & Fire members in Europe and Scandinavia.
August 2002
· Wind & Fire MC third "Oval pin": Firefighter Memorial Pin (1.25" red, white and blue for one year only in recognition of the 343 FDNY)
August 2002
· Wind & Fire MC special edition pin: oval, gold, red-white-blue, "343 PLEDGE". This is a one-time pin to acknowledge members who committed to ride in the 2002 Firefighter Memorial events hosted by the Club.
August 11, 2002
· Firefighter Memorial Rally, London, England: members attended from the U.K, Belgium, and France.
September 11, 2002
· 0001 hours on September 11, 2002 - W&FMC rode to Ground Zero, NYC: over 350 motorcycle on site.
September 12 - 18, 2002
· Firefighter Memorial Ride from New York City to Denver including stops at FDNY, the Arlington Fire Department (the Pentagon), the National Fire Academy, and the Flight 93 crash-site near Somerset, PA
September 12, 2002
· Member Ray Feasel, W&FMC - While on the memorial ride was killed in New Jersey.
September 12, 2002
· Leo McHale has a dream of building a Ray Feasel memorial, his dream came true.
September 21, 2002
· "A Ride to Remember" from the Colorado Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial in Lakewood to the International Association of Fire Fighters Memorial & Ceremony in Colorado Springs, due to 9-11-01 over 700 motorcycles attended this annual W&FMC event.
September 26, 2002
· W&FMC membership reaches 2,000
April 19,2003
· 12th Honorary Member: George Petropoulos for the assistance and support given to our Club during the year 2002 and the Club's 2002 Firefighter Memorial. For the support give by George on behalf of the "Motor Company"® Click here for a picture of George
May 10, 2003
· Leo McHale - Dedicated his Firefighter Memorial in Cecilton Maryland in the memory of W&F member Ray Feasel.
June 7,2003
· 1st Southern W&FMC Rally held in Austin, Texas
August 28, 2003
·
At our
annual board meeting held in Janesville, WI four new members were appointed;
Terry Heflin, Mike May,
Terry Porter and (Lynn Kerstetter, now retired from the board).
April 3,2004
· 13th Honorary Member: Shinji Fujimura from Japan for his invoking the true spirit of freedom In-The-Wind. Shinji though wheelchair-bound rode his Harley-Trike across the USA. Click here for picture of Shinji (RIP)
May 1, 2004
· W&FMC club ring became available to our members. Thanks to the hard work of National Board John Bergstrom this ring can be purchased in gold or silver.
August 7, 2004
· W&FMC's Eastern Rally was moved to Daytona, FL
August 9, 2004
· W&F MC's first elected International Club Vice-President - John Bergstrom
August 10, 2004
· W&F MC's first members to attend all four USA corporate rallies in one year.
Gary Lovell, Dallas Chapter
Bruce Reibly, Irving Firefighters Chapter
Attended the Eastern Rally in New Smyrna, Florida; Southern Rally in
Austin, Texas; Western Rally in Hollister, California and the National
Rally in Hill City, South Dakota.
While making this ride these two W&F members rode over 12,500 miles
riding through 21 states and visited many members along the way.
Both are ready to do it again.
September 11, 2004
· Leo McHale has flag flown over the Pentagon in memory of Ray Feasel
April 2005
·
Lisa
Powel of Tucson AZ became W&FMC's 14th Honorary Member. Lisa not only
is a Harley Rider she has been the driving force for the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn
Foundations burn camp program.
During Lisa's 14 years
with the foundation she served as Champ Camp Coordinator, Prevention Educator,
Survivor Assistance Director, and lastly Executive Director for the Foundation.
Lisa has worked with
over 200 fire agencies and over 50 schools. She has had the pleasure of
working with over 2,000 volunteers.
August 9, 2005
· Gary Lovell, Dallas Chapter member became the first W&F member to ride to all four USA Club corporate rallies two years in a row.
In the past two years Gary has ridden over 25,000 miles traveling to
these four events.
Gary received the W&F Bronze for this very special accomplishment.
February 14, 2006
· Leo McHale completed and dedicated a US postal stamp in the memory of Ray Feasel and the 343 FDNY firefighters that died on 9-11.
April 2006
· Rick Fairless of Dallas TX became W&FMC's 15th Honorary Member.
Rick Fairless, a veteran custom bike designer and builder of 20 years, has been featured in many magazines In The Wind, Hot Bike, V-Twin, Easyriders, and Ride Texas Magazine. He stars on the Speed Channel in the reality biker show "Texas Hardtails" and has been featured in the show "Biker Build-Off" on the Discovery Channel.
Rick has been a great supporter of our Club by leading Burn Runs in Texas, lending his name to our effort and furnishing a great destination for our auction and finale, the renowned Stroker's Ice House.
Rick Fairless' Strokers Dallas (formerly Easyriders of Dallas) was started in 1996 as one of the first custom bike dealerships to land in Big D. In 2004, Strokers was voted the best all-around motorcycle hang-out in Texas by the readers of Ride Texas Magazine.
Fairless was part of the 2005 Easyriders Centerfold Tour, a nationwide custom bike showcase. He recently established Storkers Sturgis on Thunder Road, the ultimate custom bike destination in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Rick has won numerous national awards, including the prestigious Sweepstakes Award 2004, for the best motorcycle on display at the nation's oldest automotive event, The Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. In 1999, he was inducted into the motorcycle Who's Who club, the Hamsters.
Fairless is also featured in the book "Choppers: Heavy Metal Art" by well known motorcycle photographer Michael Lichter.
June 9 - 30, 2006
As our Club turns 15 years old, members from around the world are
meeting in Europe for a 4,000 mile tour.
August 8, 2006
September 7, 2006
October 6, 2006
April 2008
Pepper Massey’s life of accomplishment both in promoting
motorcycling and serving charitable organizations within her community are a
perfect match for Wind & Fire MC’s values of motorcycling and children’s
charities.
Massey is well known in
the national motorcycle community and served 11 years as the Executive
Coordinator for the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, a national MC rights
organization. A longtime Harley-Davidson motorcycle rider, Pepper not only owns
and rides an H-D; she was office administrator at a H-D dealership for two
years.
Wind & Fire MC has
received additional exposure and standing among our peers in the motorcycling
world as a result of Pepper’s efforts. In her former position as Director of
the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum, Massey initiated and implemented a two-year
“Colors” interpretive display at the Museum featuring Wind & Fire MC among
venerable Clubs like the Boozefighters MC, the Antique Motorcycle Club of
America, and the oldest US Motorcycle Club— the Yonkers Motorcycle Club.
As organizing manager of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum “Hall
of Fame” annual event, Pepper facilitated Wind & Fire MC with three years
of VIP seating opposite the recipient tables during the annual ceremony.
Massey’s charitable
efforts include the annual “Kids and Chrome” fund-raiser for the Children’s
Home Society and the Hall of Fame. She has been active with the Crisis
Intervention Shelter Services from 2003 to present. She is active with Zonta of
the Sturgis Area and a two-time past president.
A true friend of
firefighters and specifically Wind & Fire MC,
May 2008
August 2009
· Oppy from CO and Wild Bill from MO became WFMC’s first Liaison
Officers (Western & Eastern USA)
· Kevin Chamlet was appointed the European Liaison Officer (RIP)
August
2011
· Wind & Fire MC turned 20 years old,
a worldwide run ended at the Lake of the Ozarks was held on August 23rd
,24th and 25th .
There were over 300 members in attendance. What an event.
· Our
clubs 25th birthday party will be in Europe.
January
2012
· On
January 1st Kevin Chamlet request to be allowed to take a
break. He was told to take all the time
needed, he will be welcomed back when he is ready.
April
2012
·
Honorary Member #17 is Lisa
Price-Waltman
Lisa Price-Waltman first became
involved with Wind & Fire MC in 2009 through the planning and
implementation of The Honor Run. As one of four Colorado Coordinators, Lisa
partnered with Colorado Wind & Fire members, as well as Dave Barr, in
helping to further the mission of The Honor Run to raise awareness and
contributions to build a Fisher House. Initially assisting with the Colorado
portion of the ride, Lisa was instrumental in public awareness through her
talents as a journalist; scheduling interviews and television appearances,
publishing articles and establishing contact with radio, television and print
media for Dave Barr, the ride sponsors, Wind & Fire MC as well as her
fellow riders for the duration of the run from Colorado to California.
April 19, 2012
·
Wind & Fire MC reached a
benchmark. We now have 4,000 “full”
members. This does not count our
Associate Members or Honorary Members.
January
1, 2013
·
Tom Dill of Colorado & Darrell
Stevenson of Texas became board members
January
2014
· We
have 186 chapters world wide
February
2014
·
Wind & Fire MC reached the 5,000
member mark. Just awesome
·
Wild Bill became W&FMC International
Historian (Mary retired)
·
Shannon Turner became our International
Sgt-at-Arms. (William retired) The Eastern, Western and European Liaison
officer positions were combined into one International Sgt at Arm position.
April
15, 2014
· David
Zien became Wind & Fire MC Honorary Member #18. Dave is a retired Senator from the state of Wisconsin
for additional information click here.
January
12, 2015
· Lisa
Rudikoff became Wind & Fire MC International’s first Safety Officer. I want
to thank Skipper for wearing two hats for several years. To contact Lisa you can email hootiemcfly@aol.com
·
Eddy retired from the
board. V.P. John Bergstrom is
developing an advisory council which will report to the V.P.
· Silver W&FMC pendant, Liberty
Chapter – Marcus Smith
2019
·
Board
meeting at the Southern Rally
July 2020
·
Board
Meeting (first Zoom meeting)
Use Your Back
Key
