BACA ride in Fortuna raises support for abused children in Humboldt County

Bikers Against Child Abuse’s Humboldt County chapter is using its annual ride to pay for something far less visible than chrome and helmets: the counseling, vests and steady support children need after abuse allegations surface and the legal process begins. The group says the money raised does not sit in a general fund, but goes directly to help children feel safer and less alone.

The 20th Annual Child Abuse Awareness Ride is set for Sunday, April 26. Riders will sign up at 10 a.m. at Double D Steak in Fortuna and leave at noon. Organizers expect 60 to 100 riders, and the event is open to the public, with all types of motorcycles welcome. The route will head north from Fortuna through Trinidad and Fieldbrook before ending in Blue Lake or McKinleyville depending on the weather. A separate community calendar listed Blue Lake Casino as the finish and noted a $20 driver donation, a $10 passenger donation and a $5 poker-hand option.

Marybeth Bian, the chapter’s public relations specialist and also its court liaison and agency liaison, said the ride is the chapter’s biggest and only annual fundraiser. Those dollars help buy BACA vests for children who need them and cover counseling services. In a county where families can be forced to navigate court dates, custody issues and safety planning at the same time, that kind of direct help can be the difference between a child feeling isolated and a child feeling backed by adults who show up.

BACA, founded in 1995, says its mission is to create a safer environment for abused children and help them not feel afraid, while working with local and state officials already in place to protect children. The Humboldt County chapter is fully chartered. Families can reach it at 707-496-3004, with mail sent to PO Box 6891, Eureka, CA 95502.

The ride lands in a broader child-protection network that has been in place for decades. Humboldt County’s Child Abuse Services Team has served the region since 1996, bringing together law enforcement, child welfare, county mental health, the District Attorney’s Office, North Coast Rape Crisis and tribal social services. The Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council of Humboldt County says its work is to eliminate child abuse and neglect through coordinated services, prevention, intervention, treatment and public awareness. A 2023 county prevention plan cited a study estimating the cumulative cost of abuse for 389 verified child victims in 2018 at $89.5 million. That is the scale BACA and other local groups are trying to confront, one child and one ride at a time.