MDA RIDE: We’r(id)e in That With You!

The MDA RIDE is a group of people who have decided to help to people with incurable neuromuscular disability known as Muscular Dystrophy in the Czech Republic. Oliver Shokouh, the owner of Harley-Davidson dealership in Glendale, California, came with the idea to organize a motorcycle charity ride more than 35 years ago – soon after the Harley-Davidson company had became a sponsor of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. A number of movie stars like Peter Fonda, Larry Hagmann, Lorenzo Lamas, Jay Leno, Dennis Hopper, and later many others, have became its first supporters. The event has quickly gained popularity at both the bikers and the general public. At the present time, the american Love Ride is the largest charity motorcycle event in the world. Since 1993, the same event called Love Ride takes place in Switzerland. The decision to organize such charity event also in the Czech Republic has been made by Josef „Káďa” Kadeřábek and his friends about ten years ago. After more than a year of preparation and communication with the organizers of the Love Ride events in the USA and Switzerland, the idea started to help also in our country from 2008. This year, we are preparing already the eighth MDA RIDE – a ride that is certainly not a carefree one. The more people will be in that with us, the more we will help those who can ride a motorcycle only with our help. The funds raised during the MDA RIDE event, ie from voluntary admission fee, sale of items with the MDA RIDE logo, checks from partners and all other contributions, go directly to benefit the specific needs of sick people organized by The Muscular Dystrophy Association in the Czech Republic (AMD) and The Parent Project. The Czech MDA RIDE is the largest motorcycle charity event in the Czech Republic, the only such project in the European Union and the second one in Europe (after the Swiss Love Ride).