Countywide : Bikers Help the Homeless

The question was simple for Sandy Brinigar: Should she go to work or climb aboard her Harley-Davidson motorcycle and hit the open road?

Work never stood a chance.

On Friday, Brinigar, a molecular biologist from Fountain Valley, traded her white lab coat for a black leather jacket and black chaps and joined dozens of other motorcycle enthusiasts on a trip designed to raise money for a local homeless shelter.

“It’s just a great feeling to get out there and help, especially raising money for the cause we’re doing. It’s just a lot of fun,” said Brinigar, 36.

Brinigar was one of hundreds of riders from throughout Southern California to join “Harleys for the Homeless,” which is expected to raise about $10,000 for HomeAid, a nonprofit group based in Irvine.

About 40 riders left from the Orange County Harley-Davidson dealership in Santa Ana on Friday morning and headed to Stateline, Nev.

Along the way, they met up in Victorville with groups from nearby counties for lunch.

The money raised through the $35-per-rider registration fee will go to build temporary shelters for families that need up to a year to regain their financial independence, said Donna Hahn, spokeswoman for HomeAid.

“Crazy George” Reiter, 52, took a day off from Southern California Edison to lead the Orange County contingent. Nothing beats the sense of freedom and camaraderie of riding along with others who were born to be wild, he said.

Reiter, of Costa Mesa, added, “You may be riding with a doctor or a lawyer or a ditch digger, but once you’re on that hog, you’re all of the same mind.”