Iowa American Legion Riders Chapter 298 takes woman now in hospice care on ride on back of three-wheel motorcycle.
In early September, a member of American Legion Riders Chapter 298 in Marion, Iowa, received a unique request. An elderly woman stricken with stomach cancer and about to be admitted to the hospital wanted to cross an item off her bucket list: riding on the back of a three-wheel motorcycle.
It’s something she’d wanted to do since she was a youth growing up, someone she knew had a three-wheel motorcycle equipped with a Volkswagen engine. She always wanted to ride on the motorcycle but was told no by her sister.
Incoming Chapter 298 Road Captain Michael Cleveland, a member of both Post 298 and its Sons of The American Legion squadron, was forwarded the request. And in three days, he and other Riders made the request come to fruition.
“I was like, ‘absolutely,’” Cleveland said. “If we can do something to help someone check something off their bucket list, it’ll be awesome. It would be an honor.
“I sent out an email to all the Riders in our chapter, and we even invited people to ride in their car if they wanted to do that, too.”
A total of 19 motorcycles took part in the ride, which covered approximately 15-20 miles. “I knew they’d jump behind it,” Cleveland said of his fellow Riders. “A lot of times it’s a scheduling issue for everybody. Most rides we take are less than (19). We had an awesome turnout.”
Cleveland said the woman’s reaction after the ride finished said it all. “She didn’t have to say anything,” he said. “She was grinning ear to ear. She loved it. She was so happy.”
Four days after the ride, the woman checked herself into the hospital. She is now under hospice care. Making her wish come true was special for Cleveland.
“I’ve never had to do anything like this, especially a request like that from somebody going through what she’s going through,” he said. “When we got done with the ride we took a big group picture. Jason Achenbach, our chapter director, presented her with a challenge coin.
“We all just stood there like family and hung out until she had to leave. It was special.”
- Riders