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Sheriff Leads Bikers In Pursuit Of Aid

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By RONNIE BLAIR, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 15, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - Sheriff Bob White became smitten with the idea of riding a motorcycle when he was a teenager delivering an Atlanta newspaper.

White figured tossing newspapers from a motorcycle would be much better than handling the job from a car.

His father thought otherwise. Deeming the motorcycle too dangerous for his teenage son, White's dad nixed the idea.

Years later, White figured his father was probably right.

'I thought I was bulletproof,' Pasco County's 57-year-old sheriff said Sunday, as he prepared to join about 1,000 bikers for his second-annual Sheriff's Charity Ride.

The 50-mile ride, which began at Gulf Coast Harley-Davidson on State Road 54, was to benefit the Boys & Girls Club in west Pasco. The riders' eventual destination was the Cotee River Bike Fest, which took place in downtown New Port Richey on Saturday and Sunday.

Maybe he wasn't ready for a motorcycle during those teenage years. But about 18 years ago, White decided to indulge his youthful whim.

'I threw my leg over, cranked it up and took off,' he said.

He's been riding ever since.

Putting about 1,000 motorcycles on the road at the same time and on the same route took some coordination. Deputies blocked intersections to allow the motorcycles through unimpeded by traffic lights.

Recognizing that the motorcycle parade likely proved inconvenient to many Pasco motorists, White thanked residents in advance for their patience.

'They have my humble apology,' he said.

Downtown New Port Richey, near Sims Park, also was blocked off for the Bike Fest, which featured numerous exhibits, including dealers selling motorcycles, custom-designed seats, helmets and motorcycle graphics.

A club called the Touring Gators, recently returned from a 4,400-mile trip to New England, tried to recruit new members. The group is a local chapter of the national Gold Wing Road Riders Association.

'We plan big rides, and we plan weekend rides,' chapter director Rich Heckler said.

Heckler, 62, a Port Richey resident, owns a yellow 2005 Honda Gold Wing touring motorcycle with a matching trailer. Most of the 30 to 40 members of the Touring Gators also own Gold Wings, though it's not a club requirement.

'Anybody can ride with us. I don't care what you ride,' Heckler said. 'We've had Harleys, Yamahas. We're easy.'

On the recent three-week trip north, the group saw calendar-worthy scenery in the Adirondacks, with cottages nestled near a lake and trees decorated with fall colors.

In West Virginia, they gazed down upon a valley where a farmer had created a maze in his cornfield.

Ultimately, camaraderie is what the club is about, Heckler said.

'I have met some of the greatest people, the best people in the world you could ever ask for,' he said.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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