RICHMOND, Va. -- Burly guys riding booming bikes and wearing black leather. While it is an intimidating sight, looks can be deceiving. The Tuskegee Airmen Motorcycle Club does more than just crisscross Central Virginia's highways and bi-ways. Helping is just as important as horsepower to the 18-member club. The Richmond-based Tuskeegee Airmen Motorcycle Club honors the intrepid, all-black fighter pilots from Word War II.
"We’re a family. We are definitely a family. Anyone who joins us realizes that we are a family, not just a motorcycle club," Ricky "Hammer" Williams said. "We use the sport of motorcycling. We honor their name the Tuskeegee Airmen by going out into our community."
This coed club which boasts members with names like “Hammer,” “Lone Wolf” and “Queen P” doesn’t need wings to fly high. Members come through in the clutch on the ground.
"I love giving back. There are so many people that need," Joseph Scott said. "For me to get involved with an organization that loves giving back makes me feel awesome really."
From feeding the homeless at Monroe Park to assisting veterans down on their luck; the riders reach out to those less fortunate.
"That could be me on the other side. And I would want someone to help me. I enjoy helping all people," Crystal Williams said.
"It makes me good," Portia Robinson added. "When I was growing up someone gave to me so now it is my time to give back."
The Tuskegee Airmen Motorcycle Club recently delivered happiness in the form of two checks. The club raised $2,500 during a charity ride in May. The members handed the checks over to the Boys and Girls Club in Fairfield Court. The generous gift was most appreciated by those who benefited directly.
"Because the Tuskegee Motorcycle club they’re not just a motorcycle club they’re not just an organization," William Morris, with the Boys and Girls Club of Richmond, said. "They care. They care about the kids in the community."
The Tuskeegee Airmen Motorcycle Club. Harleys and Hondas never carried such big hearts on two wheels.
"We don’t believe in quantity. We believe in quality. We’re looking for good people who enjoy helping other people," member Joseph Scott said.
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