How to Make
Motorcycle Awareness Month Happen in YOUR Community
NOW is the time to start lining up the
ducks to have May proclaimed as Motorcycle Awareness
Month in YOUR community. Motorcycle awareness isn’t
“somebody else’s job” or something we should
entrust to another government program. The
reality is, if you ride, it’s YOUR job, and your
responsibility to the riding community to set an
example for others and heighten awareness on behalf of
BOTH, motorists and riders.
We achieve awareness with an all out
media assault. It starts with a simple piece of paper
from a city council and you build upon that success
with articles in local newspapers, letters to the
editor, stories on local TV stations, interviews on
local talk radio. If you’ve got the money, sponsor a
billboard, hand out bumper stickers. We’re super
intensifying our efforts this year to beat last year’s
effort, and I hope you’ll find the time to help lead
the effort in your neck of the woods. The life you
save might be your own.
1. Ask your
ABATE Local if you can help get an awareness
proclamation for YOUR city. ASK FIRST, as a matter of
courtesy and to avoid duplicate efforts! ABATE
is the Official Motorcycle Awareness Month
Organization serving California. We’re going to need
the help of many other riding organizations to get the
job done. If your group would like to get involved, we’d
be happy to help you. Contact an ABATE Local in your
area and let’s work together to achieve a common
goal. See pictures of what ABATE achieved last year: http://www.geocities.com/palmspringsabate/motorcycleawareness.htm
2. Visit
www.bikernation.us to find the official language and
the talking points you'll need to take to City Hall.
Once you've got the language, 95% of your work is
done. Note: the language has been changed this year,
to more accurately reflect the number of riders and
enthusiasts in California. (1 Million)
3. Contact
City Hall, the Mayor's office, a City Councilperson or
even your County Board of Supervisors and let them
know you'd like to see May proclaimed as Motorcycle
Awareness Month. Let them know that you already have
the desired language in hand. When you’ve gained
interest, you have options. You can either accept the
proclamation at a city council meeting and say a few
words, or simply stop by the front desk and pick it
up. We prefer you clean up real nice like and get a
picture of you shaking hands with your Mayor for our
website and the Bailing Wire. Helpful Hint; Local 36
P.R. Guru, Halle contacted the Mayor in one city and
had the proclamation in less than 2 days. Councils
could take much longer. Always remember, your Mayor
might be running for State Assembly next year. These
proclamations help us develop good working
relationships early in a politician’s career.
4. ABATE is
working on a Resolution at the State Senate and State
Assembly level with SCR 16, a Senate Concurrent
Resolution authored by Senator Jim Battin. Senator
Battin will handle the bill in the Senate;
Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia will carry the effort in
the State Assembly. Call, write, email or fax YOUR
representatives and ask them to support SCR 16, to
proclaim the month of May as Motorcycle Awareness
Month in California. We hope to have the Official
Resolution presented to us on the steps of the state
capitol at the California Motorcycle Awareness Rally
on April 18, 2005.
5. A National
Resolution is in the works, probably to be introduced
by motorcyclist and US Senator, Max Baucus of Montana.
If passed for each of the next two years, it will
fulfill the 3 year obligation to be enacted as
national law. The effort was begun by Senator Ben
Night Horse Campbell, who recently retired from the US
Senate. More details when we get 'em.
6. We're
asking you to BRING your Resolutions and Proclamations
to the California Motorcycle Awareness Rally on the
State Capitol steps, April 18, 2005 to show off to the
media, and maybe even Ah-nuld the Governator! Schedule
an appointment with your reps and show off your new
hardware, whether they're on our side or not,
motorcycle safety and awareness is a non-partisan
issue that everyone should agree on. It’s also a
wonderful opportunity to begin developing
relationships with your representatives. A good
relationship with an elected official is the key to
attaining results in California, and you can never
have enough of that.
7. Bring your
Resolution to the Motorcycle Awareness Parade at the
ABATE Regional Rally in Lake Elsinore, scheduled for
May 6,7 & 8, 2005. We expect to have a
few VIPs there to present ABATE with
even more honors, and we'd like your efforts to
be on display as well, for all to see.
8. To be
included in the special Motorcycle Awareness Month Web
Page for 2005 and possible articles in the Bailing
Wire, Quick Throttle Magazine or the Thunder Press,
please submit the following items to palmspringsabate@yahoo.com.
· A
close up photo of your proclamation from a digital
camera.
· A
picture of you, or your group, shaking hands with
elected officials.
· A
digital picture of your entire group standing with
your proclamation, along with the proper spelling for
everyone’s name.
9. Contact
your local media. Get an article in the local
newspaper. Get a story on the local TV news. Schedule
an interview on a local radio program. Put together a
motorcycle awareness party at a local hangout and
invite the media and elected officials for a public
reading and acknowledgement. A simple blurb in just
one local newspaper could save the lives of many local
motorcyclists and their passengers.
10. When
Motorcycle Awareness Month is over, the Sturgis
Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame would like to
display your Proclamation or Resolution! Our friend,
Pepper, serves as Executive Director at the Museum.
Pepper has given us a special wall of honor for the
display of our Resolutions. You'll need to put it in a
nice frame because the museum doesn't have the budget
to buy a bunch of frames. Ask everyone in your Local
(or at your big party) to autograph the backside of
the frame for posterity, then submit a nice photo
showing your entire group. Send it to: Sturgis
Motorcycle Museum 999 Main Street, PO Box 602,
Sturgis, SD 57785 ATTN: Pepper Massey-Swan, Executive
Director
11. Catchy
slogans and phrases are needed. Memorable quips like,
“Look twice, save a life” and “Let’s not meet
by accident.” ASAP Chair, Larry recently made
mention of a possible contest. Get involved with ASAP,
the ABATE Safety and Awareness Program. Visit their
website: http://www.abatesafetyandawarenessprogram.org.
Larry has asked for one liaison from each Local to be
in contact with ASAP to relay info to members.
This benefits us all.
12..
What are you waiting for? You've got work to do.
Thanks for
your selfless dedication to the cause! ~splatt
