Cavitt Street in Trafford was filled with sounds of laughter and the roar of motorcycles as guests prepared for the second annual Amanda’s Heart Foundation motorcycle charity run.
Riders gathered in front of the Trafford American Legion Riders Post 331 and greeted each other. Each participant was welcomed either by name or with a pat on the back.
“We’re all brothers here,” said Barry Frydrych, 66, director of the Trafford American Legion Riders Post 331.
Riders from as far as Gallitzin and Reading showed up to the event in support of the Amanda Heart’s mission. The charity ride route took them from Trafford to the American Legion in Ligonier, then Latrobe and back to the Trafford Legion for a post-ride celebration that non-riders also attended for a $10 donation.
The admission fee included food, drinks and a DJ, and there was a 50-50 drawing and a basket raffle. Registration for the ride, itself, was $25 per driver and $15 per passenger. All proceeds go to the foundation.
“We do this because it’s a good cause,” Frydrych said. “It makes you feel good when you do something like this.”
Amanda’s Heart has been an active foundation for two years. The nonprofit was created to support people with physical, intellectual, mental or developmental disabilities and autism and their families. The foundation was created and named in honor of Amanda Ooten, 28, a quadriplegic woman affected by cerebral palsy.
The idea for the foundation was planted when Ooten and her mother, Linda, 55, donated the coronavirus stimulus checks they received from the government to help other people with disabilities who were struggling as a result of the pandemic.
“We figured, why not help other people,” Linda said. “This is a time that everyone is in need. It just kind of took off from there.”
The two women then partnered with Gene Cook Supports, LLC to create the nonprofit to be able to give those in need a “hand up.”
“We see a lot of individuals who are limited in terms of their income, and sometimes things come up that they just can’t financially manage,” said Melissa O’Brien, 49, president of the Amanda’s Heart Foundation. “To be able to go that extra step and help them in that type of way is something that means a lot to all of us.”
Last year, the charity ride raised almost $8,000 with 23 bikes and about 150 guests at the post-ride dinner. This year, foundation members hope to raise more money and have at least 200 guests at the celebration afterward.
For more, see AmandasHeartFoundation.org.
