Motorcycle Volunteers

Event Recap! Publix Atlanta Marathon March 1st, 2026 We provided four Motos to support the Publix Atlanta Marathon this year. It was a 12 hour day of riding around downtown Atlanta, providing tactical support to the Race Organizers with real-time updates, checking the route, and supporting the Aid Stations. We were able to demonstrate that non-HAM Motos can be effective, when paired up with a HAM Moto or being directed via Mobile Phone by Net Control.  Save the Date! For Motorcycle Volunteers, we have four more opportunities on the 2026 Calendar  Tour of Coweta Supporting the Rotary Club of Newnan (Contact Al Robertson to volunteer) Event Information March 28th, 2026 Coweta County Justice Center 72 Greenville St S Newnan, GA 30264 Jackson County Tour de Habitat Supporting Habitat for Humanity (Contact Ken Yuill for more information) Event Information September 19th, 2026 East Jackson High School 1435 Hoods Mill Road Commerce, GA 30529 Bike MS : Georgia Peach Ride 2026 Suppo...

The Atlanta Track Club is looking for volunteers to manage communications (no Amateur Radio License required for this one) for the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th.  And there are plenty of other volunteer positions too. For Motorcycle Volunteers, the Bike MS : Georgia Peach Ride will be a one day event this year, to be hosted on a Saturday.   Spin For Kids continues to follow its usual Sunday slot, with cabins available to volunteers the night before. AJC Peachtree Road Race Event Information   July 4th, 2025 Atlanta, GA  Communications Volunteers  (HAM, GMRS, or Telephone Operator) Please contact me for the password before signing up for communications.   Or, take a look at  All other Volunteer Opportunities Bike MS : Georgia Peach Ride 2025 Volunteer Signup   Event Information Saturday, September 13th, 2025  LaGrange, GA Spin for Kids 2025 Volunteer Signup   Event Information Sunday, October 5th, 2025 Rutledge, GA James Acwor...

This year we made an impact in our community by supporting four events and helped to raise more than $1,000,000 for good causes. Publix Atlanta Marathon Organized by the Atlanta Track Club with support from local ARES volunteers. Scott, Sam, Sam's granddaughter and I provided motorcycle and amateur radio support to this event.  Next year, I may volunteer as a HAM capable cyclist, or use an electric motorcycle.   The course layout does not work well for motorcycle support at a running event, and I accidentally got funneled in with runners over the finish line towards the end of the day 😱 AJC Peachtree Road Race I volunteered as a Radio Operator at a water station for this event, while Scott became a mobile camera platform.  I had a lot of fun with the water stop crew and pitched in to help distribute water to the runners.  There was quite the party atmosphere going on at the water stops.  And I got to see Scott whiz by with a camera operator riding pillio...

Volunteer opportunities for 2023! More information to follow as we get closer to the events.  The big news is that Bike MS is moving from October to September.  In other news; I just heard that Move for Grady/VeloCity no longer requires Motorcycle Escorts.  I'll let you know if this changes. Publix Atlanta Marathon : Atlanta, GA Sunday, February 26th, 2023 Licensed Amateur Radio Operators only https://www.atlantatrackclub.org/2023-publix-atlanta-marathon-weekend Move for Grady (formally known as VeloCity) : Fairburn, GA Saturday, May 6th, 2023 No longer using Motorcycle Escorts https://www.moveforgrady.com/event-info Bike MS : Atlanta Peach Ride 2023 : LaGrange, GA Saturday, September  23rd and Sunday, September 24th 2023 https://mssociety.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=1615 Spin For Kids : Camp Twin Lakes : Rutledge, GA Sunday, October 1st, 2023 https://www.camptwinlakes.org/ James Acworth, GA February 2023

Just received the latest batch of "Event Escort" Windshield Banners in time for the Fall Season of charity events.  I ordered some of these last year and gave out the last of them at VeloCity 2022. I have 10 with grommets & bungie cords.  I also have a few without grommets (with rubber tipped metal spring clips)  I order these from PurpleIron  at a discounted price of $20 each for ordering in batches.  I bring these to events and sell them at cost.  If you need one ahead of an event, please let me know and I'll mail it to you. James Acworth, GA August 2022

Fall is charity bicycle ride season! Spin For Kids : Camp Twin Lakes : Rutledge, GA Camp Twin Lakes is thrilled to be back to 100% capacity at their campsites this summer! They are partnering with Camp Sunshine for children with cancer, Camp Strong4Life for children with obesity, and Camp To Belong which reunites siblings that have been separated through foster care.  As you know,  Spin For Kids  is the largest fundraiser for Camp Twin Lakes that provides camper scholarships for these and 10,000 more campers! Please save the date for this year’s ride. It will be  Sunday, October 2 nd . If you are a member of a club or have a network of riders that you are in touch with, please consider sharing our sign-up link with them! ( https://signup.com/go/OVgBSay )   Overnight lodging is being provided for free to volunteers. Please contact Ashley Henderson ( ashley@camptwinlakes.org ) Bike MS : Atlanta Peach Ride 2022 : LaGrange, GA The Atlanta Peach Ride will take p...

It was lovely weekend for a motorcycle ride around LaGrange, Georgia.   There were no serious incidents, all 280 cyclists were accounted for and ~$300,000 was raised for the MS Society! On Saturday, we covered four routes with five motorcycle escorts: James (KN4VZE) & Ken supported the 100 mile route. Sam (KD4SHK) covered the 66 mile route. Jeff supported the 35 mile route and Cathie covered the 21 mile route. On Sunday, we covered two routes with six  motorcycle escorts:  Electra, Sebastian, Rondell supported the 65 mile route, while Jeff & Cathie covered the 31 mile route. Sam (KD4SHK) as a HAM capable motorcycle escort roamed both routes while staying in touch with Net Control. There was some drama.  On Saturday, my battery died just as Ken & I were escorting the last three century cyclists into town.  Both Jeff & Ken stayed with me through the evening & into the night and helped me to prepare the bike for a ride home with AAA.  ...

That's another Spin for Kids event in the bag!   The event attracted approximately 500 cyclists, who raised just over $500,000 in sponsorship for Camp Twin Lakes.  As usual the event was well planned, organized and executed.  Here is a link to more information about Spin For Kids and the work done at Camp Twin Lakes:  https://www.camptwinlakes.org   This year I signed up for the 100 mile route along with Ken, Mike & Lee (Ken & Mike are Bike MS Alumni - Go Team Moto!) and we had a fun day assisting cyclists and sweeping the route to make sure all cyclists were accounted for.  And it was great to catch up with LadyEJ and TopDog and their crews (A big shout out to the Black Angels Motorcycle Club, Faith Riders, Get2Gether Bikers, ATL Cruisers and the Christian Motorcycle Association) For the VeloCity 2021 event I had upgraded to a mobile radio with more power.  For this event I upgraded my ride to a 2018 Honda Goldwing Tour, which is an absol...

Greetings! I hope you've been keeping well :) I've started to receive word about in-person charity cycling events for 2021.  Here is what we know so far: Spin for Kids 2021 : Rutledge, GA : October 3rd Bike MS Atlanta Peachride 2021 : LaGrange, GA : October 9th & 10th Bike MS Bay to Bay 2021 : Carlsbad, CA : October 16th & 17th  VeloCity 2022 : Fairburn, GA : May 7th, 2022 Indeed, Bike MS has a bunch of in-person events for 2021 across the USA.  See their Find Your Ride page for more details. I will send out more details via the mailing list as we get closer to these events.  Please let me know of any other events you're aware of that could use motorcycle support and I'll get the word out :) James Acworth July 2021

VeloCity Atlanta 2021 was a lot of fun! And we had beautiful weather for riding around the country lanes of Fairburn, GA. This was one of the best organized events that I have supported.  The local ARES crew ran a professional Radio Net and maintained close communications with the event organizers. There were two sets of motorcycle volunteers.  The first group of twelve reported directly to the event coordinator and maintained contact with the lead cyclist & tail cyclist for each route.  This group of volunteers represented the Black Angels Motorcycle Club, led by TopDog and his bright yellow Goldwing, as well as Faith Riders, Get-2-Gether Riders, Christian Motorcycle Association and several independent volunteers. The second group of licensed amateur radio operators reported directly to the ARES run Net Control and were directed to different routes & locations as needed.  I rode as part of this team with Duncan as my wingman.  Mark K. of the Motorcycle ...

We're seven days out from VeloCity 2021 (Saturday, May 1st) and things are ramping up.  E-mail & text messages are flying around all over the place, routes are established, radio frequencies have been shared, waiver forms issued and motorcycles are being prepared. At time of writing there are 14 motorcycle volunteers signed up, three of whom are also Amateur Radio Operators.  A big shout out to Mark K. of the Motorcycle Amateur Radio Club, who is driving in from California to support this event.  We really appreciate you. For this event I have upgraded my radio from a 10 watt handheld to a 50 watt mobile unit, with a remote head and bluetooth connection to my Sena 20s.  Really looking forward to trying it out next weekend 😁 We can never have too many motorcycle volunteers for charity cycling events.  It's all about keeping the riders safe on the course.  There is still time to volunteer for this event if you're available.  HAM radio is not re...

The organizers for VeloCity 2021 have reached out to us for Volunteer Motorcycle Marshals to support this year's charity bicycle ride. This appears to be a very well organized and supported event.  It looks like there will be 10, 25, 50, 62 & 100 mile routes, with riders leaving at staggered times to keep participants safe during the pandemic.  Between SAG, Rest-Stop, Medical & Team Moto (that's us!) there will be 50 to 60 mobile units covering all routes. Routes will be available soon via Ride-with-GPS and all riders & support units will be using the RaceJoy app to provide the organizers with real-time location information.  This app also provides an emergency button to call in support to a specific location. The first riders are expected to depart from the Chattahoochee Hills Event Center on Saturday May 1st between 7am and 7:15am.  This event will feature HAM supported Net Control & Command Center located at the venue. I will be sending out more de...

 Four of us from Team Moto joined the Motorcycle Marshal team for Spin for Kids 2020 over the weekend.  It was a beautiful day to be out riding and serving our community. The event was really well organized, masks were mandatory and all volunteers & riders had to pass a temperature check.  The start times for each of the six routes were staged throughout the morning.  And each route had a 30 minute rolling start.  This kept the concentration of riders low at base camp and on the course. I had the privilege of joining Net Control as "Rover 3" and was able to periodically relay updates for the 15 mile route.  I still think operating a HAM Radio while riding a motorcycle is pretty cool :-D  This year I had my antenna mounted to a sport rack and it worked out really well.  Next upgrade will be a 25watt radio.  More Power Baby!  Looking forward to next years event and supporting a wonderful cause.   Here is a link to more inform...

If you are a new subscriber, Welcome! And thank you to everyone else for remaining a subscriber :-) Since becoming a member, I've been coordinating with the Motorcycling Amateur Radio Club to get the word out for volunteer opportunities for motorcycle riders. The club members have been very warm in accepting me as a remote member (they're based in SoCal, but have members scattered around the U.S.A.).  And I've discovered a wealth of new information about different approaches to operating amateur radio while riding. Having an amateur radio license isn't necessary for volunteering-on-two-wheels, but I found that it added an extra dimension to my last outing as a motorcycle marshal for Bike MS Atlanta Peach Ride . James Acworth, GA February 2020

The volunteer sign-up page for Spin-For-Kids 2020 is now open! The ride will start and end at Camp Twin Lakes Rutledge in Rutledge, GA.  There are five routes to cover and the organizers are looking for up to six Motorcycle Marshals per route.  As you can see from the list below, all cyclists will cross the finish line around the same time, for a big party at the finish line. 100 miles, 8am to 4pm 62 miles, 9am to 4pm 47 miles, 10am to 4pm 27 miles, 10:30am to 4pm 15 miles, 11am to 4pm Here are some words from Ashley Henderson , the volunteer coordinator. "Spin For Kids Motorcycle Marshals keep riders safe by leading each group, following behind the last riders, and patrolling the route for any injuries or rider needs. We need your help to make Spin For Kids a safe, fun day for everyone!  We will provide $10 gas cards, lunch, and t-shirts to all riders.  I hope that you will consider joining us on October 4th, 2020!" Amateur Radio support will...

My son & I enjoyed the Atlanta Motorcycle Show a few weekends ago.  I particularly enjoyed the British vintage motorcycles and a very special classic Ducati.  We had some good conversations with some of the exhibitors and were able to hand out a bunch of motorcycle volunteer contact cards. A couple of weekends ago I discovered a group of about twenty all female riders who gather at my favourite local breakfast spot once a month.  They were gracious enough to listen to my pitch and accepted a few contact cards from me.  If you were in that number, Welcome! :-D For the Georgia crew there are some volunteer opportunities coming up that could be combined with a weekend trip: Florida March 7th & 8th, 2020 :  Bike MS The Citrus Tour , Polk County & Osceola County April 18th & 19th, 2020 :  Bike MS Breakaway to Key Largo Alabama June 6th, 2020 :  Bike MS Rocket City , Madison, AL. Kentucky June 27th & 28th, 2020 ...

Save the Date! Below is a summary of Motorcycle Volunteer Opportunities for 2020.    Click here for a complete list of Bike MS events in all states. Alabama June 6th, 2020 :  Bike MS Rocket City , Madison, AL. California These are  Motorcycling Amateur Radio Club (M.A.R.C.)  supported events: March 22nd, 2020 : Oakland Marathon Snow Park, Oakland.  HAM Support by Mike Pompa KB6MP May 16th, 2020 :  Bike MS Los Angeles  Day #1 Santa Monica to Ventura    May 17th, 2020 :  Bike MS Los Angeles  Day #2 Ventura to Santa Monica May 30th, 2020 : Devil's Slide Ride  Pacifica August 1st, 2020 : Marin Century  San Rafael.  HAM Support by the Marin Amateur Radio Society October 18th, 2020 :  American Diabetes Association Los Angeles Cycle Ride  October 24th, 2020 : Bike MS Bay-to-Bay Day #1 lrvine to Carlsbad October 25th, 2020 : Bike MS Bay-to-Bay Day #2 Carlsbad to San Diego ...

Volunteering as a Motorcycle Marshal for the Bike MS Atlanta Peach Ride was my gateway into Amateur Radio. I connected my AnyTone D878 to a half-wave dual-band antenna that is mounted on the grab rail of my Ducati Monster S2R, strapped the wireless PTT to the left grip and paired the radio with a Sena 20S EVO et voila! I was "Motorcycle Mobile" and hooked up to Net Control for the event. I've since invested in a Ventura Sport Rack and a low-profile mount to improve the antenna installation. We're always looking for Motorcycle Riders to volunteer for this event, and for another event in North Georgia named Spin for Kids. Our goal is to field as many Motorcycle Marshals as we can, to keep our cyclists safe while they're on the course. Please share the following links with folks who you think may be interested in: ...volunteering as a Motorcycle Marshal ...volunteering as a HAM Radio Operator [unicorn] ...volunteering as a Motorcycle Marshal and HAM Radi...

I ordered some "contact cards" for us to handout to other Motorcycle Riders we may meet who express an interest in volunteering as a Motorcycle Marshal for community & charity events. Let me know if you'd like a handful 😀 James Acworth, GA November 2019 Save the Date! October 4th, 2020 : Spin for Kids, Morgan County, Georgia October (TBA), 2020 : Bike MS, LaGrange, Georgia 2020 Bike MS Events Bike the US for MS

Spin for Kids is a single day charity cycle ride that will be held on Sunday, October 4th, 2020. Spin For Kids is Camp Twin Lakes ' annual fundraising bike ride that helps provide life-changing camp experiences for children with serious illnesses, disabilities, or other life challenges. Each October at Camp Twin Lakes Rutledge, our riders’ fundraising efforts culminate in a fun and fulfilling ride that winds through the scenic backroads of beautiful Morgan County, Georgia. I've connected with Ashley Henderson, the volunteer coordinator for this event.  Each year she puts out a call for motorcycle marshals.  This event has been running for 10 years!  Here is a link to the 2019 event page . This event is supported by Morgan County ARES, who operate Net Control and the support vans. Ashley will send out sign-up information ahead of the event and I'll share it as soon as I receive it. James Acworth, GA November 2019