Benefit for a fallen friend

Every so often something happens that shakes us back to our very roots.  Something that makes us realize either how lucky we are, or else fundamentally changes our own existence.

On Friday, July 8th at 9:45PM my friend and very popular local radio DJ Richard Langlois (Rick Baron to his audience) was riding his motorcycle on Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville when someone made an illegal U-turn in front of him.  Exactly how Rich got hit is the matter of a some speculation because the police report doesn't jive with witnesses' accounts, but the upshot is that Rich was thrown from his new bike.  He is now a quadraplegic with very limited use of his arms.

Our favorite local vintage motorcycle club, of which ol' John is proud to be el Presidente of, hired a private detective when it became obvious that the local Sheriff's ossifers weren't going to be able to energetically look for the person that struck Rich.  Even more frustrating when you realize that the Sheriff's brother is a club member and that the Sheriff Himself attends our meetings every so often!

So far, alas, no luck in finding the person that struck Rich, despite canvassing all of the auto glass and bodywork places in town.

So we held a fund raiser for Rich.  A poker run.  And a good chunk of the Jacksonville riding community came out to help, despite threatening thundershowers from Huricane Katrina.  Considering the devastation that Katrina was to cause in New Orleans a few days later we were very, very lucky.

Also very lucky was the last minute participation of none other than John Lennon's widow, Yoko One, who arranged for an exhibit of John's artworks.  That show ran in loose coordination with our motorcycle event and frankly raised quite a bit more money for Rich and his family than our bike ride did by itself.

We need to count our blessings each and every day.  Things could be much worse.  And as I write this Rich has been transferred from a rehabilitation center in Atlanta to a VA hospital in Augusta, GA.  We are cautiously optimistic that he will be home in a few more months.  He's making noises about getting a three wheeled motorcycle and with any luck at all Rich will be back out on the road, hangin' with his friends.