Who Will Kiss The Pig?

Well, it's time for Bikers Have Heart -- when we raise money for a local kid with a life-threatening illness -- and there are a couple of new twists this year.

First, this Saturday, May 3, we will have the traditional Yahtzee Run, where you have seven stops and roll the dice at each one. Registration is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at D&S, and costs $20. (To find out where your money will go, read about our Bikers Have Heart kid below.) The event will end with a party on Front Street in Medford that afternoon. (That's new!) There will be live music and food and prizes -- AND -- somebody for D&S will end up kissing a real live pig before it's all over.

You see, one of our previous BHH kids is in 4-H these days and sent us a photo and story about it. We invited her to this year's celebration and she's bringing a pig. In the meantime, each staff person has a decorated piggy bank at D&S and customers are fattening them up everyday. The staff member with the most money will plan a smacker on the snout. The staff member with the least, gets to kiss the pig's rear end. So far we've raised over $600 -- in dollar bills and spare change -- before the event had even started.

So, next time you come by, feed the pigs! Or, if you can't play with us this Saturday, read below to find out other ways you can help.

It’s Bikers Have Heart season at D&S

Each spring we remind our riders and friends that some people are less fortunate than we are, and need our help. For the seventh year we’ve chosen a child in our community who is has a special need.

click image for larger view

Meet Dominic Luciano.

The kid with the great smile is a 15-year-old sophomore at North Medford High School. He loves to write and produce music, and he plays piano with a jazz ensemble at school. He builds and works on computers. And he has a terrible disease called “NF2.”

Neurofibromatosis Type 2 causes tumors to grow on the cranial and spinal nerves, and lesions on the brain and spinal chord. He’s had two brain surgeries – in Portland and Los Angeles -- since he was diagnosed in 2004. Now he is scheduled for his third surgery in June.

His dad is a single dad, raising Dominic and his 11-year-old brother, and he usually works construction, but is on disability at the moment. They have health insurance, but there are still mounds of medical bills as well as living expenses when he has to take the time off to be with Dominic during the surgeries.

The latest tumor is on the 10th nerve of Dominic’s brain and will affect both his swallowing and speech. He will need to travel either to Portland or Boston when school finishes in June, and right now he doesn’t have the money to travel or pay his 20 percent of the surgery costs.

So, what do you say? Want to help us help Dominic? We’ve got a goal of $10,000 and we’re going to raise it with our signature Yahtzee Run and party on Saturday, May 3. You can contribute in several ways:

• Send us a check made out to “Sparrow for Dominic Luciano” We will deposit it in his medical trust account with the Sparrow Club, a national organization that helps kids with life-threatening illnesses.
• Donate merchandise or services to our event. We’ll raffle or auction off just about anything – haircuts, helmets, pizzas, pool tables, you name it!
• Volunteer to help us raise money, collect donations or work the day of the event.
• Donate flyer miles if Dominic and his dad have to travel to Boston.
• Tell your friends about Dominic and see if they want to be part of a great cause.
• And finally, show up and be part of Bikers Have Heart May 3.

We’ll start at D&S that morning with registration from 11 to 1. Cost is $20 per Yahtzee card. The ride will end with a street party in downtown Medford, hosted by Howie’s and four other businesses. The party is open to everyone, of all ages. There will be live music, prizes, lots of bikes -- and lots of opportunities to help a great kid with a great smile.

If you have an idea or need more information, email kim@dsharley.com or call and leave a message at her extension 541-535-5515, ext. 1004. Send checks to D&S Harley-Davidson, PO Box 1528, Phoenix, OR 97535.

To learn more about neurofibromatosis, visit Children's Tumor Foundation.

Need a Spring Service?

Don't wait 'til that sunny Saturday to get your bike ready for the road. Our Service Department calendar fills up fast. So, call Mark or Greg at 541-535-5515, at least a couple of weeks before you want to ride.

Need a new Harley?

Don't wait on that either. Harley-Davidson has cut back production, so we will have a limited number of 2008 bikes to sell. Get yours for somebody else does! Call Lori, Dean, Josh or Larry to find out what bikes are still on our list.

Need A Good Place to Ride?

Wait -- we've got a whole bunch of answers to that one. We list D&S-sponsored events here on this What's New page, but we also try to list everyone's events in on our Calendar. If you have a ride or bike show coming up, send the information to terrie@dsharley.com and we'll get it posted.

We Need You!

At D&S we're here to help you with whatever you need to be out there on the road -- and look good, even if you're just standing still. So, pick a good road, take a long ride, send us a photo and tell us all about it. We're waiting to hear from you.

And, as always. ride safe -- terrie* & the Crew at D&S Harley-Davidson.