Community Has Embraced Annual Burn Ride Fundraiser

By Darrell Mak

In the end, it was all for the kids.

Several years ago while on a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC, local business owner Tom Sylvester and other local businessmen sat around wondering how to best give back to the community. Above all, they wanted to help a worthy cause that benefited children. One of the men mentioned a county firefighters’ program that helped child burn victims and offered a camp where those children could go to interact with other kids with similar tragedies.

In 2003, Sylvester’s group organized the first Maryland Burn Riders benefit for the Mid-Atlantic Burn Camp, and over the past several years the event has grown into one of Maryland’s largest motorcycle rides to benefit a Maryland charity, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.

“The charity initially was small and struggling, but when we got involved, it exploded,” recalled Sylvester. “We have such a wonderful network of business owners and friends who began to help the cause.”

The Burn Riders foundation helps fire burn victims. “We zero in on the children who have been involved in house fires,” said Sylvester. ”We’ve been able to raise funds to send kids to camp for two weeks with kids in the same situation.”

Sylvester says the foundation provides funding so every kid who wants to go to the camp can attend.

The Mid-Atlantic Burn Camp is located in Clarksville, and supports young burn survivors and their families by providing an annual therapeutic residential summer camp and other year-round activities that support their physical, psychological, and social needs.

Today, the Burn Riders has become the largest organized ride across the Bay Bridge, which receives a lot of support from the community and government. State police, State Highway Administration, MdTA police, county police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority are all involved in the event.

“They definitely support us and help us with this thing,” affirmed Sylvester, who said the group raised $80,000 last year. He also commended the myriad of business sponsors, particularly Carroll Fuel, which paid for the Bay Bridge toll for the riders and will do so again for this year’s event.

Riders donate $25 to participate in the all-day event, which includes toll fare as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner and an orange Burn Riders T-shirt that the riders wear during the trip.

“Everyone has an orange shirt on,” said Sylvester. His company, ASAP Printing in Millersville, donates the shirts for the event. “On the bridge, it looks like one long orange rope.”

This year’s ride is scheduled for June 18 and Sylvester is anticipating over 2,000 participants. Ride registration starts at 7:00am that morning at Cancun Cantina, after which riders will leave for Bamboo Bernie’s under police escort. The group also will organize a raffle with the drawing held later that evening.

After crossing the bridge, riders will head to Red Eye Dock Bar on Kent Island for lunch. The group will then return on their own to Bamboo Bernie’s for lite fare and to Restless Ric’s in Glen Burnie for a “rest stop.” Dinner and an after-party will begin at 3:00pm back at Cancun Cantina, and the event will wrap up around 7:00pm with the raffle drawing.

Sylvester said many people line up on the street to watch the riders cross the bridge. “If you like to hear the rumble, grab a lawn chair and see the bikes ride by. You can feel it,” said Sylvester.

Those who don’t want to ride but would like to donate can come to Cancun Cantina to make a donation and get a T-shirt. Those interested in helping or becoming a sponsor can also contact Tom Sylvester at tom@asapstuff.com.