Motorcycle club raises money for burn victims

 When people receive second and third degree burns, they are required to wear burn-scar pressure garments 24 hours a day, for up to two years.

The garments apply constant pressure to the area of the burn, and eventually cause scars to flatten and become softer.

But these garments are extremely expensive, sometimes costing thousands of dollars, and they need to be replaced every four months. The province pays for 75 per cent of the cost of these garments, but those affected must come up with the other 25 per cent of the cost.

The costs are especially difficult for the parents of children who have been burned to deal with, as children wear out and outgrow garments more frequently than adults, according to Susan Tyndall, an occupational therapist in Sudbury Regional Hospital’s hand and upper limb rehab program.

In 1995, the Walden Fire Department set up the Pediatric Burn-Scar Garment Fund, but the fire department has since moved on to support other causes.

Enter the Freedom Riders, a Sudbury motorcycle club which raises money for local charities. For the past four years, the club has been donating the proceeds from its annual Freedom Rally to the burn-scar garment fund. This year, the club raised $3,000 for the fund.

“I did rehab on one member of the Freedom Riders club. He saw someone else who was in (my office) receiving the garments, and he overheard us talking, and said they do rallies and raise funds, and they would love to be able to donate to our program,” said Tyndall.

“They donated the first year, and it was received so well that they decided to donate every year to us. And every year it’s been growing. The first year it was $500, the next year $1,000, the next year $2,000 and this year it was $3,000.”

Freedom Riders president Rob Lemieux said his 80-member club raises money for charities which help children. No other service club supports the burn-scar garment fund, he said.

“If a child comes in, and has been burned in a fire, and needs a mask or anything else, our donation goes towards supplying them with the garments or the prosthetics,” he said.

“We’ve never encountered the kids and we don’t ask to meet the kids. We just donate the money because I don’t think another organization supports this cause. There are a lot of kids that do get burnt.”

This year’s Freedom Rally, which was held at the Mine Mill Camp near Richard Lake over the August long weekend, attracted 200 people. “We have games, we have a poker run, we have meals and a catered supper on Sunday for everybody that’s there, we have a silent auction.”

Tyndall said although the burn-scar garment fund is usually reserved for children, it may also be used for needy adults who have no other way of paying for the garments.

Anyone who wants to donate to the burn-scar garment fund is asked to phone the hand and upper limb rehab program at Sudbury Regional Hospital’s Memorial site at 671-5294.