CHARLES TOWN — For Darby Ridenour, the regional president of Sorry Souls Motorcycle Club who goes by Stone, fundraising for Autism Speaks is personal.
Both his son and stepson suffer with autism, and he has dedicated his life to providing them the same opportunities as any other child.
Without proper educational resources or opportunities readily available, however, Stone and his wife decided to bring understanding to the community themselves through their involvement with Autism Speaks.
“When I became a member of Sorry Souls, my wife and wanted to try to bring awareness of autism to this area,” Stone said. “There’s really not enough awareness here or in the public schools. There’s just not much here for them.”
Through Autism Speaks, the largest autism advocacy organization in the United States, Sorry Souls has raised more than $100,000 to return back into local communities.
Sorry Souls’ fifth annual Party for a Cause kicked off Saturday, raising more than $30,000, albeit under unusual circumstances.
Unable to rent Martinsburg’s Moose Lodge as in previous years due to insurance complications, the Party for a Cause was hosted at the private residence of the Stiles family in Charles Town.
The event included raffles, face painting and a coveted bike show with prizes for best stock, custom, metric and antique. Autism literature was also made available and distributed.
Live music was performed by the Eastern Panhandle’s Let There Be Rock School, a unique music educational center offering music lessons and band opportunities to children of different ages and backgrounds. One of Let There Be Rock School’s performing bands included the band of Stone’s son, for which he plays the drums.
“My biggest goal would be to bring more people together to have an open mind towards autism and understand what it’s about,” Stone said. “It’s not the mental illness that a lot of people think it is. They’re people with all different kinds. It’s not always the same, and they can be verbal or nonverbal. Both of my sons are verbal, but they still act differently. I really would like the community to understand that it affects 1 in 54 kids now, and that people need to understand the challenges autistic kids go through every day.”
Stone’s son, who recently returned to graduate early from Mussleman High School this coming year, faced the challenges of undergoing a transfer to a Smithsburg, Maryland-area high school in order to find the proper educational resources.
According to Stone, though, his son intends to pursue a college education thanks to opportunities afforded to him through Autism Speaks and the Let There Be Rock School.
“The best way they can help is through support,” Stone said. “Help support us and any kind of outreach there is. There really aren’t that many opportunities here for autistic children, and many people don’t understand what autism is. People need to read and study it. Just like deaf people who use sign language, you have to study it to understand it. It’s the same thing with autism.”
To continue supporting Sorry Souls’ outreach with Autism Speaks, check donations can be mailed to Autism Speaks’ location in Washington D.C. on behalf of Sorry Souls Motorcycle Club. Individuals can also contact Stone directly at [email protected] for more information.
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Source: The Journal by Mikayla Hamrick