WIMA Pink Motorcycle Ride

2009 WIMA Pink Ribbon Motorcycle Ride

Sunday 11 October - another glorious day, and another wonderful event to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.

Busting With Life was once again well represented... and had a great time!

Funds raised will go towards supporting the Foundation's activities - including nationwide education and awareness programmes, as well as various initiatives within the vital field of breast cancer research.

 

2008 WIMA Pink Motorcycle Ride

Sunday October 12th was an auspicious day for several keen members of BWL, as they played hooky from training to participate in the 5th Anniversary Pink Ribbon Motorcycle Ride.

WIMA, a non profit club for women motorcyclists, regularly supports family oriented charities as well as local fire brigade services. The the last 5 years, the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation has been lucky enough to have the club's support.

An amazing display of motorcycles, guaranteed to impress eben the non enthusiast, began lining up Sunday morning at Selwyn Collage, Kohimarama for the event. Honda Cruisers, Suzuki sport bikes, BMW touring machines, Kawasaki, Yamaha - from dirt bikes to trikes to scooters - there was no shortage of style!

Our intrepid BWL gang was introduced to the generous riders who not only would carry us as pillion passengers, but also would cater for our safety by providing helmets and gloves. One BWL rider who shall remain nameless, because we have already teased her enough, forgot she was about to embark on a motorcycle - not a dragon boat. She arrived in her trusty Crocs! Fortunately she was still allowed to participate, but was admonished to find new footwear for next year ...

Gentlewomen and Men ! Start Your Engines !!!

With a Police escort taking the lead, our parade ride left Selwyn and cruised along city streets to the waterfront. Great fanfare, tooting of horns, and waving of pink ensued as the procession made its way along the waterfront and the bottom of Parnell. A minor glitch occurred here, as part of the group made a tactical decision to follow a rider, who as it turned out, wasnot part of the event ! This meant that a significant number of riders blazed their own route through Auckland City, to Hobson Street, while the rest followed the official route in Parnell and onto the North Western motorway. All riders eventually made it safely to Western Springs, where we congregated at the stadium. The festival atmosphere here was great, with sausage sizzle, coffee vans, raffle sales, and the chance to get a better look at all those bikes! One of my personal favourites was bright yellow and featured a sidecar carrying an enormous Newfoundland - no offence of course to the beautiful Honda Goldwing "throne" I arrived on.

Raffles were drawn to the delight and amusement of all. One gentleman found himself the proud owner of some lovely cosmetics, and our own Kay won an enormous stuffed bear. If I could figure out a way to waterproof him, he could challenge Cathy for the caller seat ... Look for Ursus in Pink to appear again at a BWL raffle !

A very special thank you to past paddler Angela Robinson and her sister Peggy for extending the invitation to join the ride. We had a blast!

The weather was kind, the people were awesome, and more than $13,000 was raised for the Breast Cancer Foundation !!!!!

Kelly Smith