A special birthday for 18-year-old Jessaley from Coevorden. At the beginning of the evening she was surprised by more than seventy motorcyclists.
Organizer Ingrid Scheper gets really excited when she thinks back on the past three weeks. She has had her motorcycle license since August and wanted to do something for the psychiatric patients she works with. “I had put out a call on social media to do something with a group of motorcyclists, when I was approached by Jessaley’s parents. That girl has an intellectual disability and is crazy about motorcycles. Her parents thought it would be fun to have her surprise her on her birthday with a tour with eighteen motorcycles.”
“Whether I could do something with that,” laughs Scheper. “Of course! I put out a call in a Facebook group and from there a WhatsApp group was created. Dozens of motorcyclists registered. I then approached the CS riders, which is a group of motorcyclists on trikes who often participate in these types of actions. Some members of which led the entire group tonight.”
When Scheper is waiting at the meeting point tonight, one motorcyclist after another arrives. A little further on a second group joins and together they go to Jessaley’s house. She still thinks she’s going karting for an evening. Until she has to put on her motorcycle suit.
“Then suddenly there is such a large group of motorcyclists in front of your house. The whole family was emotional,” Scheper laughs. “Jessaley was actually going to sit on the back of her mother, but chose to sit on the back of a trike with her sister. She had a wonderful ride. This was pure happiness for her. A ride with a smile and a tear.”