Tattoo Tony’s Under My Skin Tattoo Studio is less than a mile from the harbor in the Atlantic Highlands of New Jersey. The Atlantic Highlands was one of the shore communities flooded by Superstorm Sandy, but nonetheless, as soon as the waters receded, Under My Skin began the business of Sandy relief. Tony stationed a trailer outside his shop and started collecting food, clothes, toys, books—whatever was needed by the residents in the area affected by the storm. He set up a hurricane relief fund through GoFundMe.com. As soon as power was restored to his shop, he offered 2″ x 2″ tats for $50, with proceeds going directly to the Red Cross. If you got there by the end of November, you could now be sporting “Jersey Strong” ink in any font offered by the shop. Under My Skin is also a drop-off point for “Christmas for Children of the Beach,” a group of residents collecting toys to donate to local shelters for the children affected by Hurricane Sandy… Sad to say, not everyone displays this kind of community caring. Twin brothers Sean and Anthony Martin, age 24, and several others, stole a U-Haul truck from a rental facility the night of October 30, less than 24 hours after Sandy hit. They tried to smash through the gate of New York Motorcycle in Queens and the truck got lodged inside the building, causing damage to several motorcycles, as well. After helping themselves to some merchandise, they fled the scene. The brothers were later pulled over for a traffic violation, arrested and charged with third-degree burglary, second-degree criminal mischief, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny and possession of burglar’s tools. The other suspects are still at large. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said, “As the city and many of its residents continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy, there were others who allegedly used the storm and the chaos that followed as cover to commit crimes. What they have learned is that my office and other public and law enforcement officials have a zero-tolerance policy for those who would exploit a natural disaster.”… Speaking of natural disasters, you can donate to one of many organizations offering Hurricane Sandy relief in New York and New Jersey. About $850K has already been collected by Occupy Sandy Relief NY (www.wepay.com/donations/occupy-sandy-cleanup-volunteers) but only about $80K has been collected by Occupy Sandy Relief NJ (www.wepay.com/donations/occupy-sandy-relief-nj). The Occupy Sandy Relief organizations facilitate getting volunteers and supplies to the people with the most need. Damages due to the superstorm are estimated at $80B across the two states, and there’s often a huge gap between what homeowner’s insurance and FEMA will cover. Another worthy cause is the fund set up by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s wife Mary Pat (www.sandynjrelieffund.org). Or, you can buy items from a “wedding registry” set up by Occupy Sandy to get cleaning and personal supplies directly to relief centers. Just go to Amazon.com and search “Occupy Sandy Wedding Registry.”… Sandy doesn’t seem to have dampened the holiday spirit. A number of toy runs took place in the Northeast on Sunday, November 4. Hundreds of riders took part in the 16th annual David Milliken Derr Jr. Toy Run organized by the York County Harley-Davidson Owner’s Association. The ride started at Sam’s Club in East York, Pennsylvania, and ended at Penn State Hershey Medical Center… More than 400 riders participated in the Brunswick H.O.G. chapter’s annual Marine Corps Toys for Tots Benefit Ride. Patriot Guard riders led the group from Brunswick Harley-Davidson in Troy, New York, to a Toys For Tots collection site at the ShopRite plaza a few miles outside Schenectady… The Blackstone Valley H.O.G. chapter held the 19th annual Christmas Is For Kids ride, with 225 motorcycles leaving Precision Harley-Davidson in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, bringing toys, gift cards and cash donations to the Elks Lodge in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The ride kicked off the annual gift drive sponsored by the Attleboro Area Council for Children… The 6th annual Eastern Pennsylvania Toy Run saw over 300 riders leave from Classic Harley-Davidson in Leesport and arrive at the FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading where they donated toys and cash to Toys For Tots of Berks and Lebanon Counties and the Children’s Home of Reading… A new, very cool event took place at the Jersey Shore October 20. The idea for the Race of Gentlemen came from Mel Stultz of the Oilers Car Club, who was inspired by the beach races of bygone days. The weekend kicked off with a beach party the night of the 19th, and the race itself took place on an 1/8-mile stretch of beach between the Allenhurst and Loch Arbour jetties. Entries were limited to be pre-World War II autos and tank-shift motorcycles only. About 3,000 people, including the mayors of both towns, showed up to the event that featured 15 cars and 15 motorcycles. Stultz said, “It was a success; that’s for sure. An event like this hasn’t happened in the United States since 1956.” The Oilers Car Club has gotten accolades and support from antique car and bike enthusiasts all over the world, and the local Shore community is fully on board for the return of the event next year… Many of you have participated in the High Seas Rally founded and run by Dean and Debbie Anderson. Debbie was diagnosed with lung cancer just over two years ago. She fought bravely, but sadly succumbed to the disease during the 10th anniversary High Seas Rally. Debbie was the creator of the HOHS Dialysis Fund that provided rally cruises to those suffering from kidney disease, and she and Dean raised over $1.6 million since the first cruise in 2003. Dean tells us that instead of a funeral, Debbie wished everyone to have a party in her honor on a future High Seas Rally cruise. Remember, you can donate to the HOHS Dialysis Fund in Debbie’s memory (www.highseasrally.com/cruise/EC13/content_pages/view/donate). Ride in peace, Debbie. We love you always!…
