Riders Club donates $2,400 to Selma family

Published 12:00 am Saturday, April 16, 2005

With their cool motorcycles, leather chaps and Harley Davidson shirts and bandanas, the Selma Riders look like they’ve seen plenty of wild times.

But these rebels have a cause, and that’s helping their community.

Since it’s founding in February, the club of more than 40 local motorcycle enthusiasts has raised almost $2,500 for charitable causes.

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A large portion of those funds were donated on Friday to the family of Corey Blackmon, a Selma 18-year-old who died March 4, 2005 of a rare genetic disorder known as Adrenoleukodystropy (ALD). Corey’s brother, Clint, also died of ALD exactly five years ago, on March 5, 2000.

Max Tezanos, club president, said the Selma Riders held a “Corey Blackmon Fun Ride” on April 9 in order to raise funds for the Blackmon family.

The Club officers met at Lee’s Auto Sales on Highway 80 to present Corey’s mother, Carrie, and younger sister Alicia, with a check for nearly $2,400.

“Several of us in the club work with Alan (Blackmon, Corey’s father) and we wanted to do what we could to help the family,” Tezanos said.

Carrie Blackmon said she was “overwhelmed” by the generous act of the Selma Riders.

“I think it’s incredible that they would chose our child to give these funds to,” Blackmon said.

Blackmon said she would likely use the funds to help cover some of Corey’s medical expenses.

Blackmon said ALD is only found in boys and affects the brain and adrenal glands.

“It’s like multiple sclerosis in that it affects their motor skills,” she said.

Just prior to his death, Carrie said, Corey was receiving treatment at a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of Fairview Hospital in Minnesota.

Blackmon said she and her family are trying to cope with the loss of both her sons.

“We’re managing,” she said.

The Selma Riders first charitable cause, according to Tezanos, was to join with the Alabama Coalition of Clubs, a statewide group of motorcycle clubs, in purchasing several little red wagons to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.

The Selma Riders club is open to any motorcycle enthusiast and all interested parities can contact Tezanos at 874-4424.