This is the history of The Biker Fund and The Hartbauer/McBride Memorial Foundation. Here is the story of how it all began: To explain what The Foundation has done in the past, what we hope it will continue to do in the future, and for those who do not know who Tom Hartbauer and Jim McBride were and why The Foundation is in memory of them.
Tom Hartbauer was the director of the Bourbeuse Valley H.O.G. Chapter and conceived the idea of establishing a fund to help fellow motorcyclists in our community with direct assistance in a time of true hardship and need. Not as a charity, but more simply a helping hand…Bikers Helping Bikers. However, Tom never saw his idea become a reality, as he lost his life in a head-on collision with a drunk driver in 1987. It was in his memory and with his idea that the Bourbeuse Valley H.O.G. Chapter initiated the beginning of The Biker Fund with an annual event known as “The Hartbauer Ride”. As the biker community became more aware of the fund, “The Hartbauer Ride” drew more participation support from other local H.O.G. Chapters, Motorcycle Clubs, Organizations and individuals, at which time the fund began to grow under the control of the Bourbeuse Valley Chapter. The fund provided assistance to several motorcyclists and in 1993 the guidelines were broadened somewhat to provide assistance to local flood victims.
“Biker Jim” McBride was a very unique fellow biker and close friend to everyone who knew him. To say he had many friends would be an understatement. “Biker Jim” was a member of three area H.O.G. Chapters and became an avid supporter of the Hartbauer Ride and The Biker Fund. “Biker Jim” also lost his life to a tragedy in 1994 at the hands of his mentally ill son. After the loss of “Biker Jim”, as with the loss of Tom, their friends and fellow bikers were drawn together and organized an annual ride in his name, “The Biker Jim Memorial Ride”. It was decided this event would be hosted by one of the three H.O.G. Chapters, alternating each year between Bourbeuse Valley, Gateway and Kirkwood. Although the primary proceeds from the first ride, hosted by the Gateway Chapter, were donated to The Alliance for the Mentally Ill, a large amount of money was also donated by friends and family to The Biker Fund. As the support for The Biker Fund increased, it became evident that control of the fund should be a joint responsibility of the three chapters working together. As a result, a Board of Directors which included members of each chapter was organized along with the addition of the McBride name to The Biker Fund…thus, The Hartbauer/McBride Memorial Foundation was born. In 1998, the decision was to combine both memorial rides into one event for the sole support of The Foundation and The Biker Fund. Over the years, The Foundation has provided assistance to many motorcyclists who for various reasons found themselves between a rock and a hard place. In an effort to broaden the scope of The Foundation and better serve the motorcycle community, more changes were necessary. Beginning in 2003, The Board of Directors was expanded to include representatives from other Motorcycle Clubs, H.O.G. Chapters, and organizations from the Greater St. Louis Bi-State area. Along with the expansion of The Board of Directors, The Foundation also invited various other representatives to take an active role in promoting and assisting The Foundation and our events with their support.
On July 8th, 1997, the Hartbauer/McBride Memorial Foundation was Incorporated in the State of Missouri as non-for-profit “private Foundation” for the sole purpose of assisting fellow motorcyclists or their family in a time of true hardship within the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Bi-state area; and, on May 28th, 2003 was allocated exemption from Federal Income Tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.