Anxiety, Inspiration, Humanity these are three words you will hear during this pandemic. One itself Humanity can cause the other two to come about. Humanity can cause people anxiety but it can also inspire others to do different things to help out in this harrowing time. Whether is volunteering to provide a vital service, making masks, or donating something most everyone is trying to do there part. AMERiders shines out the spotlight on a few.
Volunteer Bikers Provide a Vital Service in the UK
In this harrowing time of a global pandemic, most of us are feeling some level of anxiety. In the UK, various groups of volunteer Blood Bikers across the country are continuing to ride, helping both their communities and themselves during this extremely troubling time.
Before the pandemic, the entire volunteer regional fleets of riders regularly transported blood products, samples, breast milk, and medical equipment that could fit in panniers. Now that we’re all in the midst of the COVID-19 era, Blood Biker services are even more vital.
For a start, trained Blood Bikers are now transporting COVID-19 samples to facilities for testing. Beyond that, these moto volunteers are also delivering critical personal protective equipment (PPE) to healthcare workers who are on the front lines of this pandemic.
In fact, some members of the Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire Blood Bikes have formed a separate volunteer organization on top of their usual Blood Bike runs. They’re calling it Visor Bikes, and concentrating efforts on rounding up 3D-printed and other maker-created clear face shields and visors to take to frontline medical workers.
A lot of us feel better when we’re helping, so in a very real way, riding to provide these critical services is perhaps the best form of self-care. If you’re thinking this sounds like an excellent time to jump in and volunteer to be a Blood Biker yourself, regional teams are currently not accepting new volunteers at this time because of social distancing requirements. Orientation and training require personal interactions that are simply not safe for anyone at this time.
Financial donations are always appreciated, since the Blood Bikers are an entirely volunteer organization, and are not taxpayer-funded. Once this pandemic period has passed, the likelihood of regional Blood Bikers groups opening up their volunteer rosters will be much greater. This is one of humanities goods during this time of need.
Goggles for Docs helps us protect our heroes.
Stories of inspiration can get lost in the hysteria of COVID-19. While reports of the rising death toll and economic collapse draw the most attention, companies and individuals are also stepping up to meet the daunting challenges. When it comes to the motorcycle industry, brands like Benelli, Pirelli, and Yamaha have donated medical supplies to local healthcare providers. BMW even went as far as switching to face mask production during the global pandemic.
Whether you or a loved one contracted the illness, lost your job as a result of the economic halt, or you’re socially isolating, the international crisis impacts every one of us. With unemployment skyrocketing and toilet paper hoarders ransacking stores, finding ways to help others is more important than ever. Goggles for Docs allows citizens to offset personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages by donating new or used off-road goggles to frontline health workers.
If you have an old pair of dirt bike/dual-sport, ski/snowboard, or general lab goggles collecting dust somewhere, Goggles for Docs would gladly take them off your hands. According to the share system’s website, even if your used goggles are tinted or well-worn, they’re “better than a COVID cough to the face.”
To maximize the speed and efficiency of donations, Goggles for Docs has laid out a five-step process. First, donors choose the hospital they’d like to send their old eye protection to and insert their personal information. Once the eyewear is disinfected using Goggles for Docs’ guidelines and video below, backers can mail them directly to their hospital of choice or leave them at one of the drop-off locations set up by the grassroots movement.
Though Goggles for Docs currently has over 200 drop-off spots in 35 states as well as Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and Panama, the share system promotes overnight mailing your goggles to hospitals directly. If you don’t have an old pair of goggles to donate, you can also provide monetary assistance by using the organization’s REVERB portal.
Whether you donate money or PPE, spreading the word is as impactful (if not more) as the gift itself. With COVID-19 continuing to spread nationally and globally, continued contributions will be needed. So far, Goggles for Docs has provided over 28,000 goggles for health care workers, but the fight is far from over.
The novel coronavirus presents numerous challenges for everyone. From doctors to small business owners, from essential workers to the unemployed, we can all find a way to do our part even if it’s something as small as donating an old pair of dirt bike goggles. Nothing is stopping us from being our own story of inspiration.
Manufacturer Launched GoFundMe for COVID-19 Efforts
The coronavirus pandemic has shown us some of the ugliest sides of humanity but also some of the nicest. We recently documented how some motorcyclists around the world were stepping up to the plate and helping others while certain manufacturers were donating equipment to hospitals to help the medical teams.
After the initial scramble caused by the explosion in the number of cases and the mandatory lockdowns, companies have started turning into the helpers we need. The latest one to join the movement is gear-maker Dainese.
While the number of cases in the U.S. has surpassed those of any other countries, Italy still has the highest death toll in the world. Italian medical facilities are struggling to keep up with the population’s needs to the point of having to prioritize certain patients over others.
After Moto Morini, Brembo, and Pirelli, Dainese has now stepped in and took the crowdfunding road to try and help. The manufacturer launched an online campaign on GoFundMe with the goal to gather €200,000 for the Protezione Civile which is the Italian department of emergency management. As we write this, in three days, the campaign has received over half of its target. If you wish to contribute a little something, you will find Dainese’s campaign here.
If you’d like to be more involved in our neck of the woods, there are a number of charities and organizations gathering funds in relation to COVID-19. For instance, patients who have suffered from the virus and have healed are invited to have their plasma tested for antibodies and potentially to donate blood which could help people currently suffering from the illness.
Organizations such as MedShare, the American Red Cross, Alight, or Direct Relief are gathering funds to provide hospitals and healthcare centers with such necessities as personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies. Other like Save the Children, Heart to Heart International, and Partners in Health focus their efforts on trying to limit the spread of the virus and providing vulnerable patients with cares.
The site Charity Navigator lists a slew of charities involved in the fight against the coronavirus so you can choose where you would like to send your money. If you have spare PPE, masks, hand sanitizer, or cleaning products you would like to donate, you can also contact your local hospitals, they will inform you of the donation process.
To everyone who chooses to be part of the solution, we thank you! Take your part in bettering Humanity and do something nice in this time of need.
~And as always…
~Live Free Ride Hard~
~AMERiders
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Let AMERiders keep you up to date with information on how Humanity Is Showing Its Good and Bad Side During COVID-19.
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