Law enforcement motorcycle club steps up to support Westmoreland County foster kids

It took a single afternoon to deliver and disperse about $7,000 worth of Christmas cheer that members of a local motorcycle club spent months collecting.

“It’s just so heartwarming that any group would step forward out of the blue… and put so much effort and hard work into making sure these children, who likely have experienced a lot of bad days, have a very good day,” said Michelle Brant, foster care program supervisor of the Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau.

Members of the Blue Knights, a motorcycle club of active and retired corrections and law enforcement officers, enlisted Santa’s help Saturday to deliver toys, food and more to 90 foster children served by the bureau and their foster families. It was all part of the seventh annual foster care Christmas program for children at Westmoreland Manor in Hempfield.

“The Blue Knights’ support has just been overwhelming,” Brant said.

The group collected three truckloads of toys, raised more than $2,600 so the group could buy even more toys, got Abie & Bimbo’s in South Greensburg to donate hoagies, pizza and drinks for a party of nearly 200 and arranged a volunteer performance by central Pennsylvania singer Caryn Dixon Oh.

No tax money is used for the Christmas banquet, and donations usually amount to a few hundred dollars, Brant said.

“We usually have enough money for cookies and punch,” she said. “Santa is usually there with a few things, but that’s about it.”

This year was bigger, and better, Brant said, as wide-eyed children chose from an array of gifts neatly stacked beside the door to the banquet room.

“We’ve acquired really big gift bags so the kids can carry all of their toys home. There’s Barbies, Legos, Nerf toys, trucks and more,” Brant said. “If this doesn’t warm your heart, nothing will.”

Brant said she received a phone call in the fall from Irvin Shipley, a sergeant with the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department who also serves as president of the local Blue Knights’ chapter. He wanted to know if the group could do anything to support foster children.

The organization, a motorcycle club with chapters around the world, is all about service, Shipley said.

“Our members all got into the law enforcement field, whether active or now retired, because they have a passion to help out the community,” Shipley said. “When I heard what they usually have to work with for the party, we felt we could really help out. And we know through our work what many of these children have gone through in their lives.“

In addition to Westmoreland County, about 60 members of the local Blue Knights chapter come from Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana and Washington counties. He said there are active and retired municipal and state police officers, state Attorney General agents and prison and jail corrections officers in the motorcycle club.

“We were looking for a way to get involved in the community, rather than policing, and this opportunity came up and we decided to step up,” Shipley said. “We hope these kids are able to remember this event for a long time.”

The tall sheriff’s deputy was decked out in a Santa hat and distinctive leather motorcycle vest as he checked details moments before the foster families began arriving at the party. He couldn’t be prouder of the work his friends accomplished in just three weeks.

“I basically went to everyone I was friends with and told them they were going to donate. We put it on our Facebook page and went to local businesses. The cash donations are still coming in we’ll probably top $3,000 to the Children’s Bureau before it’s all over …We’re going to do this again next year and raise $10,000,” Shipley said.

Many members of the club doubled down serving as Santa’s helpers at the party Saturday.

Brant smiled as she watched them at work, working magic for the children and families.

”Really, this kind of donor support here is something we don’t see every day, and we’re thankful for it,” she said.

Staff writer Deb Erdley contributed to this story. Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.