Rich's Perspective of the Event

I met Brian nearly 3 years ago, though it seems like much longer since the time has passed so quickly and so much has happened in that time. I didn't know what to expect when he asked me to be Grand Marshall for his motorcycle run, especially since I didn't really know any bikers and had heard all the usual stereotypes. What I learned was amazing.

We all have our passions, and mine is weather. But the biker's passion is his or her motorcycle, and that's a world that so few know. Bikers have a different view of the road from their machines, and riding in the elements on back roads across the country creates a perspective unlike any other. There is a real sense of freedom and independence that riding brings. You can distinguish fragrances in the air as it rushes past you at high speeds and you can even feel the subtle (or not so subtle) changes in temperature as you ride from open fields into forested areas or from hills into valleys. It's something you can't appreciate from a car, but bikers experience it every time they go for a ride. That lifestyle breeds independence and quite a different outlook on life than that of folks stuck in corporate boardrooms and knowing little more than the daily grind of city life. Even though bikers are independent, when they come together for a cause, it's like watching a large family reuniting during the holidays. They may not remember each other's names, but they know they're all related because of their love of the road.

After my first experience with Brian's MC Run two years ago, I gained a new respect for motorcycles, bikers and for the things they represent...mainly because I am also a big fan of freedom, the open road and as a meteorologist, I love being out in the elements. I have been enjoying new friendships, especially with Brian and his lovely lady Shawna. I hear from him almost weekly, mainly from exotic cities on his US Airways' routes. I think it's great that he puts together these runs for charity, and not because they raise tons of money, because they don't. It's great because it shows Brian's devotion to helping others in any way he can...and if you can bring a few hundred friends along for the ride, all the better. I'll see you next year, though some of you may see me before then...especially on the Ten O'Clock News. And if you hear me talking about perfect weather for a ride, you'll know I'm talking to you.

Ride Safely,
Rich Apuzzo