Local chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse mount up to raise awareness

It's hard to fear a biker with a teddy bear strapped to the back of a Harley.

Bikers often get a reputation for fighting. On April 26, 75 of them, clad in black leather with their motorcycles, gathered at the flagpole at Cape County Park to fight child abuse.

They set off on a 100-mile ride, a fundraiser by Bikers Against Child Abuse. The group of bikers rode around the area, stopping at various places along the way to fuel up and eat. If the place they visited to had a DVD player, the bikers asked if they could play a short informational DVD about BACA and what they do.

The not-for-profit organization has spread through the United States since its conception about 10 years ago. The founder, J.P. "Chief" Lilly, is a child therapist who wanted to go beyond just helping children in therapy sessions. Lilly wanted the abused children to feel secure and to make sure they know how many people are in their corner.

Once BACA is contacted about an abused child, they load onto their motorcycles and ride to the child's location, said Eric Welsh, president of the Cape Girardeau BACA Chapter. They have a teddy bear, which the bikers hug before giving it to the child so he will always have a hug when he needs one.

They give the child other things, too, like a biker name, a vest with the patch bearing their new moniker, pencils, temporary tattoos, balloons and bandanas. Welsh said the bikers also go sit in courtrooms if an abused child has to testify against their abuser, just to support the the child.

For everyone's safety, biker names are used in lieu of real names. Welsh goes by "Chuck."

To protect the children they encounter, BACA members are put through a screening process. They have to be at least 18 years old, have access to a motorcycle and have a license to operate it. If the person has any convictions of domestic violence, they are not allowed to ride with the group. Chuck said domestic charges that were charged but eventually dropped will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Chuck's wife is the child liaison between the state child welfare offices and BACA.

"She cries a lot," Chuck said.

She tears up when talking about child abuse. She said it's emotionally taxing but worth it.

BACA has four levels of "intervention." The more serious child abuse cases garner more involvement. The teddy bears and child biker names only scratch the surface as a level one intervention.

If an abused child moves up to a level two, bikers flank the child's house until someone is arrested. One BACA member in even caught a cold while on watch. Interventions increase to formal letters or awareness rides through neighborhoods where instances of child abuse were reported or suspected.

"Samson," the vice president of the chapter, has been an active member for about two years. He has a 3-year-old daughter who is one of his motivations for working with BACA.

"Every child deserves a happy childhood," he said.