BIKER NEWS: The spirit of giving: Local motorcycle club rides to bless those in need

BIKER NEWS -- You can hear them coming a mile away. 

With flashes of chrome in the sunlight, the deep rumbles of exhaust and each member lined up two-by-two down the freeway, the Street Lords make their presence on the road known. 

While some might think this motorcycle club is headed to a biker rally or maybe to the nearest bar, they’re actually on a mission with purpose. 

They’re heading out to give Thanksgiving meals to those who need them the most. 

Each Thanksgiving for the past two years, members of the Street Lords of Huntsville Motorcycle Club spend the week picking up tasty turkeys, hams and a variety of sides for those who might not be able to have them otherwise. 

Using the club’s own money, the Street Lords have re-established the true meaning of the holiday — sharing a meal with your neighbor.

“We believe in blessing others as we have been blessed,” said group member Carlos Ross, who goes by the moniker, Lord Prowler. “A group of us came together and we wanted to help the elderly and we figured this would be a great way to do it. The first year, when we had just got started, we were able to give out five Thanksgiving meals, and this year, we’ve been blessed with the chance to give out more.”

As they line up their custom bikes and choppers in the parking lot of Brookshire Brothers, you can see a smile on each member’s face as they head in to pick up baskets of food. By way of some creative fundraisers and collections among the group, the club plans to give out eight meals to Huntsville residents this year and they’re always looking for ways to give more. 

“Each guy in the group selects two people that they know of that’s in need of a meal,” Ross added. “Some are elderly, some may have a lot of kids and some may not be able to afford a meal. We see who has the most need and then we go and deliver. It makes us feel good because they feel good.”

Once all the food is packed up, the engines rev and they hit the road to their first location. The smiles on everyone’s faces light up even brighter as they reach the front porch of the first family’s house. 

From here on out, it’s hugs and laughter all around, pure Thanksgiving tradition. 

“I think it’s a lovely thing,” Huntsville resident Ella Kelly said after the Street Lords dropped off her turkey dinner. “They’ve made my Thanksgiving, they really have. And all of them are Christian men, I love that about them.” 

As quickly as they park, they’re off again down the road to the next house to greet another happy family. As they twist and turn their hulking bikes down the city streets, folks come out onto their porches to wave and children rush to see the shiny paint and hear the loud engines. 

“It’s just such a great felling,” said group president,Ed Owens, also known as Lord EZ. “When we formed this group, we talked about bringing joy to other people and it just manifests through our ability to help and give back. We like to give to those who need, but so many of these people have done things for others in the past and we cherish that. Not all of them are needy, some just deserved to be blessed.”

“What they do is very nice, they’ve really lifted me up,” Huntsville resident Bernice Davison said. “I’ve known many of them for a while, especially Carlos (Ross).”

“I think they’re very nice guys and I’ve known many of them their entire lives,” added Ernie Hatch from her home in Huntsville. “I really thank them.”

As the Street Lords club grows larger each year, so do their plans for giving back. After recently acquiring a new clubhouse in Point Blank, the group is planning to start a Christmas toy drive and expand their Thanksgiving meals as much as they can. 

“We’re planting seeds for shade trees that we may never sit under,” said Elgin “Ever Ready” Davis as he headed back toward his bike. “If we can bless some people and bless their families, that’s what we’re going to do.”

For more information on the Street Lords of Huntsville Motorcycle Club or to donate to their causes, contact public relations officer Jim Jones at (936) 577-2151.

This article was first published on November 26, 2015

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