At least 10 motorcycle riders from Olds were expected to participate in the third annual Ride for Bully Awareness Sunday, Aug. 24.The ride was to begin in Airdrie at 10 a.m. Aug. 24 and continue north along Highway 766, west of Olds between Olds and Sundre, before ending in Red Deer at about 4 p.m.A supper was planned and the anti-bullying minister in Alberta, Sandra Jansen, was to address the participants. The Night Train, a Guns N' Roses tribute band, was scheduled to entertain the crowd as well.Registration for Central Alberta riders began in Red Deer at 11:30 a.m. at the Gasoline Alley Harley Davidson. A barbecue lunch was offered. The ride was to begin again at 1 p.m. sharp.For Alberta bikes, the entry fee was $20/bike for members and $40/bike for non-members. Proceeds go to the campaign and the organization.It was part of a three-day event called Bikes & Bulls which began on Friday and is organized jointly by Bikers Against Bullying and the Airdrie Oilmens Association. It included pro bull riding, a bike rally, four tribute bands and free camping.That event was open to the public as well.Stopbully.com president Corey Ripley of the Calgary/Airdrie area founded Bikers Against Bullying (bikersagainstbullying.org) as an offshoot of that organization in 2009. Now it's grown to the point where this year, the ride is taking place in 90 locations in seven countries around the world.He says the goal of the ride is simply to raise awareness about bullying and the need for people to respect each other in all their diversity.Ripley has been involved with stopbully.com in one way or another since 2001.The first ride took place in 2009. Rides were unable to be held in 2010 and 2011. But in 2012 the ride was held under the current format – several rides in many locations.The ride is just one aspect of Bikers Against Bullying and stopbully.com. Bikers who belong to the organization also go into schools – including schools in Olds.Ripley says they're certainly not the only organizations to go into schools to urge students not to bully each other, but he says bikers have a certain cred with the kids.“We send a biker or two into the school – and they're not biker bikers, they're weekend warriors who put on the costumes – they roll up their sleeves, they've got their tattoos,” Ripley says.“We've done that in a couple of places and the kids just snap right to attention because all of a sudden the guy that should be the stereotypical bully is telling them not to bully. It's got a cool factor.”They're going to offer that program to Central Alberta schools this fall as well. Ripley says the guy organizing that program lives in Olds.For more information, please visit www.stopbully.com/alberta.
