What will we remember of the coronavirus crisis when 2020 comes to an end? Chances are most end-of-year reviews will highlight and poke fun at all the clueless buyers who felt the need to hoard toilet paper and at the handful of dickwads who cleaned stores’ shelves of hand sanitizer and wipes to resell online at a ludicrous premium. I wouldn’t blame anyone from turning this whole thing into a joke—that’s pretty much what those incidents were, minus the laughs. I don’t know for you, but I’ve had my faith in humanity seriously challenged lately. We mostly hear about the bad stuff, so much so that it’s easy to forget that good things are also happening. People and companies are stepping up and helping, and it’s a beautiful thing to see. I wanted to bring those to your attention because I think we all need some happy thoughts in these weird times.
Doing Your Part:
In Italy, for example, small motorcycle manufacturer Benelli has stepped up and donated two ventilators and 4,500 Tyvek suits to the Italian Red Cross. Tire manufacturer Pirelli and its partners donated $800,000 as well as 65 ventilators, 5,000 protectives suits, and 20,000 protective masks to help local health care providers. Here in the U.S., Yamaha Motor Manufacturing of America has donated 380 respirators, 49,000 gloves, 325 Tyvek suits, and 18,000 alcohol wipes to the Piedmont Newnan Hospital.
Companies aren’t the only ones helping out. While the individual capacity to donate either money or gear is more limited than for big companies, countless motorcyclists around the world are instead putting their time and their ride at their community’s disposition to help in a time of need.
The owners of a motorcycle riding school in Littleport, England, are offering people in their area to pick up prescriptions and deliver them where needed for free. Similarly, groups of riders in the Italian region of Umbria are helping seniors who can’t leave their home due to the lockdown by picking up their prescriptions and delivering them to their door. In Sudbury, Canada, the members of the Warriors biker club volunteered to help the Meals on Wheels service by delivering meals to local seniors on a daily basis.
Thankfully, these stories aren’t unique. If you ask me, good deeds deserve more visibility than toilet paper hoarders and online price gougers. This is a time to be selfless and to help one another, don’t you think? If anything, it’s good for the soul. If you wish to help, a number of charities and local initiatives are seeking volunteers, look them up. So, how will you do some good today?
Sources: OmniMoto, Motociclismo, Moto.it, Wisbech Standard, CTV News
Image from Benelli/Facebook