Massachusetts Motorcycle Survivors' Fund

Date: May 15, 2006

(Salisbury, MA) Over 200 motorcyclists, friends and family members braved Saturday's rain Saturday and participated in the "Friends of Joe Waters," burial and fundraising party, co-hosted by the Massachusetts Motorcyclists Survivor's Fund (www.MassMSF.org) / Essex County, raising in excess of $7,000 helping the family offset the burial and head stone costs.

"The success of this event is a tribute to the life and good works of Joe Waters," said Dave Condon of Salem, the MMSF's Treasurer and event organizer. "If the measure of a person's life is how many people show up at their funeral, . . . especially in the pouring rain, over 200 people demonstrated their love and respect for Joe."

After a graveside memorial burial by Jim Waters, (Joe's brother), . . . Linda Stanley of Danvers and the Christian Motorcyclists Association, played a beautiful rendition of "Amazing Grace" on her trumpet. Not too many dry eyes stood in silence, reflecting upon their association with Joe Waters.

The friends then met up at Rumor's Nightclub in Salisbury, selling out of five dozen Event T-shirts and buying up over 70 Memorial Patches, where they ate (food donated by Corporate Chefs of Haverhill, danced to the tunes of "Nuts & Bolts," and partied noon to 4:00 p.m., in Joe's memory, participating in silent and live auctions, and a variety of raffles, including raising $1,000 for auctioning off a 2002 Honda Rebel; a 10 pound Live lobster (brought in $175); a box of Tequila cigars ($200); an autographed Blues Brothers movie script and poster ($125). The 50/50 raffle netted $363 to the winner and the MMSF, after great work by MMSF Board Member Al DePietro and Melissa S. of Ipswich. Jay Kimball of Lynnfield handled the live auctions, while MMSF Board Member Kelly Ferguson handled the product sales with Kim Morris-Cote and silent auction items.

The MMSF will now donate the funds, less Event expenses, paying about $2,800 for Joe's memorial headstone with a motorcycle carved on it and reading "Out riding with God." The balance of the funds raised will be paid to the Funeral Home, knocking down those expenses.

"Our Survivor's Fund was proud to co-host this Event with the Friends of Joe Waters," Condon said. "He was an outstanding contributor of his time and talents to our organization and motorcyclists issues. He will be missed, but remembered. And his "Friends" were great!"

Donations can still be made to the Friends of Joe Waters Committee, on line, by going to www.MassMSF.org.



		Celebration of Life: In Memory of Joe Waters - May 13th, 2006
Join MMSF's mailing list for news of upcoming events, and announce- ments about issues that affect riders everywhere. Click here to sign up now! MMSF helps riders downed riders and their families all around Massachusetts. Please take a look at our past events to read about those in the riding community that we've helped.		Date: May 15, 2006 (Salisbury, MA) Over 200 motorcyclists, friends and family members braved Saturday's rain Saturday and participated in the "Friends of Joe Waters," burial and fundraising party, co-hosted by the Massachusetts Motorcyclists Survivor's Fund (www.MassMSF.org) / Essex County, raising in excess of $7,000 helping the family offset the burial and head stone costs. "The success of this event is a tribute to the life and good works of Joe Waters," said Dave Condon of Salem, the MMSF's Treasurer and event organizer. "If the measure of a person's life is how many people show up at their funeral, . . . especially in the pouring rain, over 200 people demonstrated their love and respect for Joe." After a graveside memorial burial by Jim Waters, (Joe's brother), . . . Linda Stanley of Danvers and the Christian Motorcyclists Association, played a beautiful rendition of "Amazing Grace" on her trumpet. Not too many dry eyes stood in silence, reflecting upon their association with Joe Waters. The friends then met up at Rumor's Nightclub in Salisbury, selling out of five dozen Event T-shirts and buying up over 70 Memorial Patches, where they ate (food donated by Corporate Chefs of Haverhill, danced to the tunes of "Nuts & Bolts," and partied noon to 4:00 p.m., in Joe's memory, participating in silent and live auctions, and a variety of raffles, including raising $1,000 for auctioning off a 2002 Honda Rebel; a 10 pound Live lobster (brought in $175); a box of Tequila cigars ($200); an autographed Blues Brothers movie script and poster ($125). The 50/50 raffle netted $363 to the winner and the MMSF, after great work by MMSF Board Member Al DePietro and Melissa S. of Ipswich. Jay Kimball of Lynnfield handled the live auctions, while MMSF Board Member Kelly Ferguson handled the product sales with Kim Morris-Cote and silent auction items. The MMSF will now donate the funds, less Event expenses, paying about $2,800 for Joe's memorial headstone with a motorcycle carved on it and reading "Out riding with God." The balance of the funds raised will be paid to the Funeral Home, knocking down those expenses. "Our Survivor's Fund was proud to co-host this Event with the Friends of Joe Waters," Condon said. "He was an outstanding contributor of his time and talents to our organization and motorcyclists issues. He will be missed, but remembered. And his "Friends" were great!" Donations can still be made to the Friends of Joe Waters Committee, on line, by going to www.MassMSF.org.
		All Contents Copyright 2008 MMSF
		All Contents Copyright 2008 MMSF.