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Bikers Against Bullies Empowers Kids
Flash, Fred Van de Perre is on the left wearing the headband; Jefe, Ken Hughes, (with an accent on the second e) is on the right. Motorcycles have been a major part of both men’s lives. Flash got his first motorcycle when he was 12 and he has been riding ever since. Jefe bought his first motorcycle in 1976 soon after he moved out of the house. He’s also been riding bikes ever since then. [Photo by Gail Jokerst]
By Gail Jokerst Without doubt, Aretha Franklin brought the word “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” to the world’s attention with her 1960s hit song. Half a century later in Missoula, you can find other unlikely champions of this time-honored ideal – tattooed, leather-garbed Harley bikers. However, their message of respect is conveyed, not on dance floors, but at schools
combating bullying. They call themselves Bikers Against Bullies (BAB) and while they may look like a mom’s worst nightmare for her daughter to bring home, these guys are more Pomeranian than Rottweiler… providing you are not into bullying. “We only deserve respect if we respect the people around us,” says Fred “Flash” Van de Perre, who co-founded BAB along with Ken “Jefe” Hughes. “To get respect you have to give it. Our mission is to empower kids by teaching them to embrace their diversity and respect other people’s diversity.” It all started 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-eyeon bullying message. He also volunteered to ride into the school gym
on his Harley to deliver that message in person. One look at Flash’s tattoos, jewelry, and headbands indicates why he has the right cool factor to reach these kids. Additionally, he is the parent of a 12-year-old and has a heart as big as Montana. Flash recruited Jefe, the road captain for Missoula’s HOG (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. “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.” (Continued on page 9)