OLDS — The Olds Chapter of the Sober Riders Motorcycle Association held an inaugural fundraising ride on Sunday, May 7.
The ride was held to raise money for the Marc Moebis EMS Scholarship Fund. Nineteen bikes were involved, with some riders coming from Calgary and Edmonton to participate.
Moebis was a Fort Saskatchewan paramedic who died of a heart attack his parents believe was brought on by the stress and hours he worked as a paramedic and a paramedic supervisor in Lamont, located just north of Edmonton.
He left behind a wife, Nicole, and three children.
The ride began at 12 noon after a service and a blessing of the bikes, held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Olds.
“The motorcycle association chapter out of Olds has decided they just wanted to do something for somebody,” Clint Jackson, an Olds resident and past chair of the Canadian arm of the Sober Riders Motorcycle Association said during an interview.
"We have a friend of ours that he lost his son a year-and-a-half ago and his wife, his son's wife is starting up a scholarship for EMS (Emergency Medical Services), for young EMS to go to school and learn how to be a paramedic and whatnot.”
Jackson said Sunday’s event was the first year for the ride and the first year of the fund’s existence.
St. Paul's Lutheran Church pastor Olav Traa and pastor Reg Berg of Calgary gave the blessing, Traa in his priestly robes, Berg in his biking duds.
Traa later ditched his robes for biking gear and both participated in the ride.
"He's a fully fledged pastor, he's just under cover right now," Traa said.
"This is kind of normal," Berg said with a laugh. "I do have stuff like that. Once in a while I confuse the congregation."
The route took riders from Olds out to the fire hall in Rimbey where a barbecue was held for participants.
