Motorcyclists trek cross-country to raise money for child sexual abuse nonprofit
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- Motorcyclist Tony Silguero presents a check to Shelaine Maxfield, Saprea founder and board chair, at the Ride2Defend 2022 Annual Fundraiser at Younique headquarters on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022.
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- Shelaine Maxfield, Saprea founder and board chair, speaks at the Ride2Defend 2022 Annual Fundraiser at Younique headquarters on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022.
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- Derek Maxfield, CEO of Younique, speaks at the Ride2Defend 2022 Annual Fundraiser at Younique headquarters on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022.
While the bikers who participated in the Ride to Defend fundraiser this year may look tough, it’s clear they have compassion in their hearts.
Ride to Defend is an annual fundraiser where Younique leaders raise money for Saprea, a nonprofit organization based in Lehi focused on child sexual abuse healing and prevention.
In the culmination of the journey they began on Aug. 25, the riders presented a check to Saprea for the final amount raised on Tuesday — a grand total of $33,322.
For the fundraiser, eight motorcyclists from across the country took time away from their daily lives to make the ride from Houston, Texas, to Lehi — all while collecting donations for Saprea by attending events and selling t-shirts.
For some riders, making the journey for Saprea gave them a new perspective on life’s difficulties.
“We got into some pretty hot weather there for a while, it was like 105 and I was actually feeling pretty miserable,” said Cal Ragsdale, a first-time Ride to Defend motorcyclist. “I kind of thought, ‘I’m uncomfortable, but what these women are dealing with, the burden they’re carrying, compared to the little bit of heat that I’m dealing with’ — I think a lot of people could probably use that in their life”
For other riders, this experienced opened their eyes to the reality of how many people are victims of child sexual abuse. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, about one in nine girls, and one in 53 boys, under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse at the hands of an adult.
“It’s pretty emotional,” said Kenneth Fazenbaker, a second-year Ride to Defend motorcyclist. “It brings to light the people that you meet that you wouldn’t think had problems when they were children or were victims … it brings to light how many people around you have had problems.”
The raised money will allow 10 survivors of child sexual abuse to attend one of Saprea’s Haven Retreats free of charge. The retreat is a four-day in-person experience where women learn about the impacts of trauma and learn ways to heal and move forward.
“The women who go through this retreat are typically addressing their post-traumatic stress,” said Chris Yadon, managing director of Saprea. “They’re learning how to reduce the amount of post-traumatic stress in their life, and they’re learning how to cope with it when it does surface.”
In a third-party reviewed study, those who attended a Saprea retreat experienced a 45% improvement in life satisfaction, a 37% reduction in symptoms of PTSD and 19% greater efficacy to cope with their traumatic experience, with these benefits lasting at least one year after the retreat.
Plans have already begun for next year’s Ride to Defend fundraiser, and Younique has set a goal to raise $42,023 for Saprea during the 2023 cross-country ride.
“Nonprofits are dependent on people that are passionate. We can’t do our work without the work of those that are passionate about the cause,” Yadon said. “So to have someone show their support in this way, to sacrifice the time and the energy to ride to raise awareness is huge.”
