DAVE IS KNOWN WORLDWIDE AS “THE KING OF FLAMES” SINCE HIS AMAZING FLAME-PAINTED DESIGNS HAVE BECOME LEGENDARY. It all started in Montana back in 2012 when Flash offered to help raise funds so each Hellgate Elementary School District student could receive a T-shirt with the keep-an-eye-on bullying message. He also volunteered to ride into the school gym on his Harley to deliver that message in person.
All bikers have a warm spaot for kids. Why not show up to ride with your friends from Born To Ride as well as “the King of Flames” Dave Perewitz and “Flash” from Bikers Against Bullies this coming September 10th at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds. You can pre-register at www.babusa.org.
Flash recruited Jefe, the road captain for Missoula’s Harley Owners’ Group, to join in creating a presentation for Hellgate. They have since brought that program to over 20 schools in Polson, Dixon, Butte, Anaconda, Helena, Darby, and throughout Missoula – usually with 1,500 to 2,800 students attending. “I was very nervous the first time. I didn’t know how the kids would receive the message,” recalls Jefe. “When we were done, I felt like a rock star with the warm fuzzies. Kids hear and feel that we’re genuinely interested in them and in what they’re doing.”
The more Flash and Jefe learned about the effects of bullying, from destroying self-confidence to taking one’s own life, that genuine interest grew like a wild fire. “Suicide resulting from bullying is the second largest reason for youth fatalities in America,” says Flash. “More than 60 kids a day commit suicide and about 15 of those deaths are a direct result of bullying.” The BAB presentation Flash and Jefe created lasts less than an hour and works to reverse that trend for kids facing taunts and threats at school, in their neighborhood, or online. Included are a couple of skits communicating that bullies empower themselves by putting down others and that you don’t have to be mean to feel good about yourself. “Instead of telling them what not to do, we talk about the positive ramifications of their actions,” Flash tells Born To Ride. “We let them know you can be cool and still make good decisions. Despite our looks, dress, and loud bikes, we’re not the bad guys; we’re the parents and grandparents who live down the street.” BTR 12 | BORNTORIDE.COM
—Dave Nichols
