BIKERS RAISE OVER $20,000 FOR BABIES

At 85, Bob Anglin still loves the open road. So does his 78-year-old wife, Lennie.

The Cobden, Ill., couple travel together on their bright orange BMW motorcycle, equipped with a side car.

Bob does the driving. Lennie rides in the side car.

The Anglins, sporting matching red T-shirts featuring Betty Boop on a motorcycle, were among 380 bikers who turned out for the March of Dimes Bikers for Babies ride.

This was the first such event in Cape Girardeau, said Matt Hopkins, director of the local March of Dimes office. "This was the largest motorcycle event Cape has ever had," he said.

Hopkins said he plans to make it an annual event.

Bikers from Missouri and surrounding states traveled the police-escorted 60-mile route from Arena Park to Perryville and back.

Following the ride, bikers enjoyed lunch, a bike show and celebration party.

Riders raised over $20,000 for March of Dimes' efforts to prevent birth defects and infant mortality.

Riders had to pay a $15 entrance fee. But many obtained pledges and raised far more. "We had several people who raised over $500 to ride in the event," Hopkins said.

Lennie Anglin said there's nothing like being on a motorcycle and being "free as a bird."

She said they are "easy riders." Even with her bad back, she enjoys her travels in the side car.

"That's like sitting in an easy chair," she said, adding that she often honks the horn.

"We never stay idle," she says of their motorcycle travels. "It keeps us young."

Bob Anglin has been riding motorcycles since he was a teen-ager.

He got his first motorcycle in 1932. It was an old, broken down one he hauled home with a mule.

Another biker, Derrill Schroth of Cobden, called motorcycle riding, "a release from the hustle and bustle of the world."

Schroth -- a 54-year-old Southern Baptist minister whose road attire included sunglasses and dark leather riding gloves -- said he has been riding motorcycles since he was big enough to crawl on one.

Unlike motorists, bikers love the trip more than the destination.

"On a motorcycle, I can leave on Friday and get there on Sunday," he said.

"When you ride a motorcycle, there is nothing on the road you don't see," said Schroth, who rides a Suzuki.

Schroth is a member of Brotherhood Aim Toward Education or ABATE. The group educates young people on motorcycle safety.

Rick Harrington is a "HOG" member. The Cape Girardeau man is a member of the Southeast Missouri chapter of the Harley Owners Group.

Harrington, who works for Zimmer Radio, loves his Harley-Davidson.

He said there is a history to the American bike. The company has been around for 95 years.

Bike rides for charity are popular with the motorcycle crowd. "We do this a lot. We pay money to go on a ride."

Harrington said bikers come from all walks of life. They don't fit the Hollywood "Hell's Angels" stereotype.

"You don't have many degenerates who will go out and plunk down $20,000 for a new motorcycle," he said.

Jay and Cindy Knudtson of Cape Girardeau rode a Harley in the charity event.

Sporting a bandana on his head, Jay Knudtson said he loves to take to the open road.

A Cape Girardeau banker, Knudtson said it is a great way to unwind after a day at the office.

"I feel like I've relieved a lot of stress of the day."