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John E Crum
Memorial John E. Crum was an Area Representative for ABATE
of Georgia in the 1980's. He wanted to share ABATE's concerns and visions with the motorcycling community
in this area. He encouraged us to begin meeting once a month at the Pizza Deli in Rocky Face, GA. In
1987, we organized, elected officers and became District 1 of ABATE of Georgia. We had a progressive first
year and were ready to grow when we had elections in 1988. Sadly, John was killed on his motorcycle going
home from the meeting that night. As John was our "Founding Father", we decided to honor his
memory by holding a memorial ride and party the following year on the anniversary of his death. We determined
to use our profits to help ABATE and the members of District 1 who were experiencing hardships. These hardships
may include, but are not limited to, some of the following: sudden medical expenses due to sickness or
accident of member or member's immediate family, loss of income, due to uncontrollable circumstances, travel expenses due
to sickness or the loss of a family member. One of our members' houses caught fire and we helped them out.
Motorcycle accidents...heaven knows we have had our share of those. In these cases, we will give
an amount of money, determined by how much we have in reserve and by the need, to assist with groceries, power bill, etc.
Mainly, we want people to know that we care about them and will do what we can.We have never taken in a huge amount of money from
this event, so from one year to the next, we manage to scrape by and do what needs to be done. District
1 has been very lucky to devote members who care enough to continue putting on this event.
In the
years past, (save one), we have held the memorial at the home of Michael (John's cousin) and Darlene Caylor. This
year, sadly, Darlene has been suffering with brain aneurisms and has had several surgeries to remove them. We
have been fortunate enough to be able to move our event to the Eton City Park in Eton, GA. This is where
the Eton Motorcycle Cruise In has been being held for the past 3-4 years. We are very excited about this
move and hope that some new faces will join in with our seasoned faces and experience the fellowship and family feel of this
event. We will have a 3-day campout this year. We hold the memorial on the first full
weekend in October. We are hopeful that this will be a new home for our event.
If
you know of a District 1 member who is experiencing difficulties, or you yourself might need some help, please contact one
of the following folks: Rick & Ellen Patterson, Tony & Tami Culver, Cindy Sayre, Dale & Daphne
Kennedy, Bobby & Lynn Ridley or Boo & Virginia Walker. We are the "oldest hands" at the
John Crum Memorial event and we will try to help as much as we can. Enjoy the road and as John Crum always
said, "BE SAFE".
- Submitted by A. Ellen Patterson and Tami Culver
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Adopt A Mile The first adopt-a-mile activity picked
up 52 bags and 2 tires. We had a great time with neighbors and friends. Since the amounts of trash has
been alot smaller, we always have hamburgers and hot dogs. It takes about 4 hours. This is about the only time you can do
community service without the crime. Abate of Georgia District 1 has signs on the roadside. For more information
email to info@abategad1.org.
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ABATE of Georgia and Georgia Sheriff's Cherokee Estates
Our association with the Cherokee Estates homes goes back 20 plus years to the mid 1980's. At the time, the homes
were primarily for boys. Sometime in the early 90's, it changed to an all girls’ facility. We
started out by asking if we could come out on a Saturday afternoon and cook hot dogs and play softball. At the time, our group
was struggling to find a foothold within the community. This was a time when motorcyclists were few and far between.... especially
the dreaded "biker" types. We really wanted to show people that we were caring and responsible citizens, AS WELL
AS being "bikers".We felt that the Cherokee Estates was a good place to start on creating a positive image and at the same time, we
could give some kids a fun day. We were determined, however, that this would not be a one time "photo
op" kind of thing. We wanted to initiate a long-term relationship with this group. Little did we know this event gave
our group as much joy and positive feelings as it did theirs? We had so much fun with these kids. They loved the bikes, of
course, but they also loved that they could be at ease with us. We weren't like the other groups that visited with them....
we were there to play. These picnics and softball games led to Christmas visits, also, and this event has become the highlight
of the year for District 1.Starting in October, every year, we obtain a list of the residents with and a wish list from each child. We then
choose a name or names and try to get one item from their list. We go to the Cherokee Estates property and spend an evening
with the kids and the house families. About three years’ ago, the state opened another home in Murray County for boys,
so we include them as well.We have two wonderful members, Lee and Tracie Malone who dress as Mr. & Mrs. Claus every year and present the
gifts and custom made t-shirts to the kids. We always include the "house kids", as well, (the children of the house
parents who care for the resident children) and a large time is had by one and all.We do this in early December and it is
such a beautiful kick off to the holiday season. This has become our member’s favorite event of the year. We missed
going for our picnic last year, but hope we can work it back in for this year. The kids cannot wait for us to bring our bikes
out there and give them rides around the property. It is a fulfilling time for us and a joyous time for
them. Submitted by Tami Culver, 21-year member, ABATE of Georgia, District 1
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Meets the First Tuesday of every month at
The Sport Zone 3359 Hwy 411 North Eton, GA at 7:00pm. Use the Link on left to get direction from your location.
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