How It All Started
In the year 2000, co-founder Chuck Ritz found his vision in life as a amateur photojournalist, it’s through his images that he began to show the world sacrifice, death, sorrow, destruction, love, hope, unity, faith and peace. It’s through these images that he realized what he captured he showed others what they may or may not have wanted to see. While capturing images of the destruction at Ground Zero, the burnt out home of the Dawson family and at funerals for fallen police officers, Chuck realized just how short and precious life is and can be and at that point made the commitment to give back to the community and those in need.
Chuck began riding motorcycles in 1979, at the time he never knew that his love of riding something with two wheels and a motor could change and better the lives of people he never knew or met. In the years following he began to realize that those who love to ride motorcycles are the most caring and giving group of people that he has ever met. It was after researching the statistics of child sexual abuse that Chuck became a passionate advocate for the innocent victims. Knowing that 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18, that only 1 in 10 cases ever get reported and that over 95% of the victims know and trust their abusers is the reason that Chuck and his wife Hope continue to raise awareness about this silent epidemic.
In 2006, Chuck founded The Ride for Life Motorcycle & Music Festival to help raise awareness for the victims of child sexual abuse and funds for Baltimore Child Abuse Center. The ride has since raised over $48,000.00 to support the programs that the Baltimore Child Abuse Center offers free of charge to the innocent victims and their non-offending caregivers.
After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Chuck ventured to New York on the 18th of September 2001 to see for himself that the attacks really happened, for him it just didn’t seem real by watching it unfold on TV. While walking the streets surrounding Ground Zero he noticed that his pants and shoes were covered with dust, it was not just dust of the debris pile but that of also the incinerated hearts and souls of those who died. The spirits of those who Chuck carried home remain with him today, it’s through sudden and tragic events like 9/11 that Chuck has met so many people after they have left this world. That’s why he continues to make sure that we keep our promise of to Never Forget 9/11, those who lost their lives and the sacrifices made by others to keep us safe and free.
In 2011, Chuck worked for 11 months to organize the 9/11, 10th anniversary Ride to Remember in partnership with Harley Davidson of Baltimore and McAvoy’s of Parkville. Today through Hope and Chuck’s vision to create the Path of Honor, Patriot Day Ride and host the 9/11 Candlelight Vigil together with the owners of McAvoy’s is so that our promise is never broken through time.
For Chuck, our board and our volunteers it’s about, Community, Compassion and Commitment. One may have a vison, two a dream, but it’s together that we can make a difference.
Who We Are
We are advocates. We are the voice of the young and old. We are ambitious, humanitarians, business owners, Veterans, First Responders, patriots and students. We are unique individuals who are ready to see change in this world and are eager to pursue it. As a non-profit, our team is completely compiled of passionate volunteers who want to make a difference. By building awareness and through our fundraising efforts we hope to better the lives of those in need, turn victims into survivors and remember the sacrifices made to keep us all safe and free.
What We Are
We are a community based non-profit organization that promotes raising awareness for social issues we believe in, Child Abuse and Human Trafficking, Homelessness, and Veteran Affairs along with providing educational programs to teach about the worst terrorist attacks on American’s – 9/11.
Our Accomplishments
- Over $48,000 raised for the Baltimore Child Abuse Center through the Ride for Life
- $1,500 donated to the Metro Burn Fund
- $5,000 donated to the Flight 93 National Memorial
- Over 400#’s of food and $800 donated to the Bea Gaddy Family Center
- Over $2,000 worth of supplies collected and delivered for the Hurricane Sandy victims in partnership with McAvoy’s of Parkville
- Over $900 worth of toys, food and gift cards collected and donated to a family in need for Christmas in partnership with family and friends.
- Auction items donated to Klug’s (100.7 the Bay) Rocking for Ronald in support of the Ronald McDonald House, Honor Elizabeth Wainio (Flight 93) Scholarship fund raiser, Baltimore Child Abuse Center’s annual “Law & Order Golf Tournament, Catch A Lift’s annual fundraiser in support of our Vets, Bikers Against Child Abuse annual 100 mile ride auction, and Gold Star Mothers of Maryland annual crab fest auction.
- $3,000 donated to the Catch A Lift Fund in support of our returning post 9/11 war vets.
- Over $30,000 donated to local charities
- $1,000 donated to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
- 1000 + #’s of can goods donated to Ravens Roost 82’s annual Food Drive
- Over $1,000.00 donated to the Charlestown Elementary School to create the Kami Ring Memorial Butterfly Garden
- Over $5,000.00 raised to purchased bullet proof vests for the Baltimore County Police K9 unit
- Over $1,300 donated to the Legion MC “Giving Back” ride
- 100 blankets donated to our Vets at Perry Point
- Over $2,500 donated to Maryland Gold Star Mothers
- Hundred’s of toys donated to Toys for Tots
- Hosts an annual FUN Day for the children at St. Vincent’s
- In 2016 created and dedicated Maryland’s 9/11 Rolling Memorial to REMEMBER & HONOR the lives lost on 9/11 and in the war on terror since that horrific day.
- In 2021 created America’s first and only traveling 9/11 and post 9/11 war exhibit to educate the 70 millions Americans too young to remember 9/11.