As you saw, if you're a regular reader of BIKERNET, I just returned from the Canadian Championship of Bike Building in Wembley Alberta. While I was there I had the pleasure of meeting a group of youngsters from the Bernice MacNaughton High School in Moncton, New Brunswick and their teacher Marc “MAZZ” Mazerolle.
Mazz, as the kids call him, runs a program to help “at risk”, misfits, and kids that have nowhere else to go teaching them various skills such as welding and metal fabrication that they currently put to use building custom bicycles.
The kids themselves raised funds for their trip to the AMD Canadian Championship of Custom Bike Building in Wembley Alberta, Canada. The kids sold tickets on various prizes throughout the summer and attended two custom vehicle shows displaying “Wendy” and the Indian Larry Tribute Bicycle.
We took the kids up to The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Fairview so they could get a first hand look at how the school there trains Harley Mechanics in Canada's only approved facility.
They were treated to a personal tour of the facility by Wally Besler, the assistant head of the Harley-Davidson Program and got to meet with Dr. Ben A. Silverberg, the V.P. of student services for NAIT.
Chica from Chica's Custom Cycles took time from his busy show schedule, as did many of the Canadian Builders, to take the kids under their wings and go over their bikes to show the kids the details that go into making a winning bike.
The kids in the program are ready to turn their skills into going from bicycles to building a chopper as their next project.
All the parts for a bobber, wheels, tires, front-end, seat, tins, engine, tranny, everything!!!! If they can get this first bike built, they are counting on selling it, once completed to finance the next bike and so on. All funds raised will go 100% directly back into the program to help “at risk”, misfits, and kids that have nowhere else to go.
Mid-USA's Canadian Division stepped right up and donated a custom Bobber frame to get the kids started and has challenged all the other parts manufacturers to do the same with whatever parts they can.
Thanks Chuck!!!
These parts do not have to be new, they don't have to be shiny, they are ready to refinish any parts they get and they will take anything you could send to them. This is an incredible opportunity for these kids and for you too.
If you can help out in any way, please contact:
Marc ” MAZZ” Mazerolle
Teacher/Bike Club Manager
Bernice MacNaughton High School
999 St George Blvd. Moncton, New Brunswick
Canada E1E 2C9
Phone: 506-856-3469 (school)
Phone: 506-856-9903 (home)
Marc.Mazerolle@NBED.NB.CA
