HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL FOR
FEMALE RIDERS AT DAYTONA BIKE WEEK
Riders Band Together to Find a Cure for
Neuromuscular Disease and Enjoy the Open Road
MILWAUKEE (February 26,
2009) - For thousands of female motorcyclists,
hope springs eternal at Daytona Beach Bike Week
this year. As a new day dawns on the motorcycle
riding season, female riders hope for two wheels
and hundreds of miles of open blacktop, clear
skies, wind in their face, breathtaking sunsets
and unique experiences with their fellow riders.
They also share hope to find a cure for
neuromuscular disease.
During this year's 68th
Annual Daytona Beach Bike Week, thousands of
female riders and Harley-Davidson Motor Company
are banding together to help the Muscular
Dystrophy Association (MDA) make their hope of
finding a cure for neuromuscular disease a
reality. The Motor Company has planned two
special initiatives for female riders to help
raise funds for the MDA:
- Wall For Hope:
Harley-Davidson will feature a 'signature
wall' in the Women's Interactive Experience
area at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center from
Saturday, February 28 through Saturday,
March 7, 2009. Riders and non-riders alike
can showcase their support for the MDA and
their efforts to find a cure for
neuromuscular disease by signing the special
Wall For Hope. The Motor Company will make a
$1.00 donation for every signature on the
wall to the MDA.
- 2nd Annual Harley-Davidson Women's
Day Ride: The ride will take place
on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, and feature
hundreds of women riders who will ride
triumphantly through the streets of Daytona
celebrating their freedom and passion for
riding and the MDA. All of the riders
participating in the ride were encouraged to
secure pledges and donations from their
friends and families to support MDA Summer
Camp programs across the country. The top
three fundraisers will receive a
Harley-Davidson jacket and anyone who raises
more than $600 will receive an exclusive MDA
charm. Last year's ride raised almost
$67,000 for MDA Summer Camps.
"The events we have
planned for Daytona celebrate the collective
passions that are inherent in all female riders
- love for the open road, camaraderie with
fellow riders and the desire to share their
passion and help others," said Leslie
Prevish, women's outreach manager,
Harley-Davidson. "Harley-Davidson has a
longstanding commitment to the MDA and we are
proud to continue that commitment with our
family of female riders."
In addition to the Wall
for Hope and the Women's Day Ride, the Motor
Company is also hosting the Women's Interactive
Experience area at the Ocean Center throughout
Bike Week and will be celebrating Women Riders
Day on Wednesday, March 3, 2009. Experienced
women riders or those just looking for
information on how to get started can learn more
about the sport by participating in bike lift
seminars and getting information about learning
to ride, healthy living on the road and more.
Women who visit the
Interactive Experience area will also have the
chance to meet Karen Davidson, the great
grand-daughter of one of the Motor Company
founders. For more information about
Harley-Davidson and women and riding, visit
www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders.
Harley-Davidson Motor
Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle
manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles
and a complete line of motorcycle parts,
accessories and general merchandise. For more
information, visit Harley-Davidson's Web site at
www.harley-davidson.com.