On a motorcycle for the refugee, a charity project starring Carlos Lameiro with the help of Francisco de la Cruz Cidrás. Supported by Machete Company, La Urbana Bike, 5special, Novalbos and among many others who, at a particular level, have supported the initiative contributing their bit. Here is the first-person account of Gran Lameiro about how it was developed and how it was developed “On a motorcycle for the refugee”:
At the end of March any Sunday, I throw myself in bed, turn on the TV and there are those people who seem to live in another world, almost science fiction … The refugees. It is so beast the images and data that I am seeing that I do not take long to get angry and do an exercise of empathy.
At this point I am totally poisoned and I have the need to do something to help, normally I would have been outraged, turned off the TV and the next day to something else … But this time it was not like that.
Ok, I was clear that I wanted to help, but to be able to enjoy doing it and if I enjoy somewhere like a dwarf is sitting, holding a handlebar, going up and down marches, winding a river of asphalt … So to name the project did not have any difficulty.
On a motorcycle for the refugee, this was the title of the project and the objectives were clear, to help financially by raising funds for PROEM-AID (NGO’s of firemen who were carrying out thousands of rescues on the island of Lesbos in a completely altruistic way) and to collaborate with my own hands where it was needed.
Once I developed the idea of a simple digital presentation, I began to show it to my family and friends. I had no idea how they would react, if it was going to seem as good idea as me, but to my surprise they thought it was great and joined the project giving me all their support, although my parents did not like the fact that was on a motorcycle …
Now we had all the tools so my colleagues and I got into trouble. The months of April, May and June were an authentic madness, between organizing concerts, biker concentration, surfing day, popular race … The hope that the project triumphed and bring all the possible help did not leave room for fatigue. Little by little the project was getting bigger while also increasing the collection through the events and the sale of some t-shirts and bracelets that we designed for that purpose.
With so much to organize, the planning of the trip we leave it for the end and the certain thing is that I do not like anything to plan, with a general idea arrives, we prefer the improvisation, in this way always experiences difficult to forget. Until a few days before starting the trip I did not know who of my friends would accompany me on this adventure, finally only Don Francisco de la Cruz Cidrás was available, friend of the school and of the gang of all my life. A hard guy, a 4×4, I was glad to know he would come with his indestructible Honda cb 250.
We left home on July 20 address Asturias (Motorbeach) there were the 3 days in which we got a large collection with the sale of shirts. From Asturias we went to Salamanca where our friend Jorge the organizer of the event in that city, which consisted of a biker route, concerts and continue with the collection, was a great success with people and again a good fundraiser for the cause.
The next day and with our bodies quite tired of so much organization and going to bed in the wee hours of the morning, the 200 km that separated us from Madrid were not easy and the infernal heat did not help, but the enthusiasm and the desire to advance always win. The Madrid event was the last one we had on the agenda so we gave it our all and it gave very good results, music and motorcycles in a great environment of solidarity people.
Madrid-Barcelona we did it in two stages at night halfway where Joan, a biker we met in Asturias, wanted to help us and welcomed us to his house in Calanda, a pleasure to meet you very good people …
Around five in the afternoon of the next day we arrived in Barcelona, it was little time we were in this beautiful city, but we enjoyed walking through the center. In Barna we said goodbye to Spain and 21 hours of ferry separated us from Italy, both Fran and I were excited to travel abroad with our bikes. The outward journey took place normally, we went directly to our destination so we did not stop too much in sightseeing, we wanted to arrive and help, that was the main objective.
Next to the refugee camp a group of Catalan independent volunteers have created EKO project 2, they have rented a plot of land where a space has been built for children to play, a school, a kitchen, a library, a space for women … In short, a place that helps them escape from their reality and helps them to maintain hope. Fran and I have spent two weeks collaborating on this project with construction tasks, playing and entertaining the children. It has been a hard and rewarding experience in which we have met spectacular people and we are very angry that such simple and humble people are going through this … We will continue fighting for them in one way or another until this is over, They deserve something much better.
At the end of the two weeks we started the return home, we were far away but the desire to tell what we had seen our friends and family gave us strength to return. We went through some spectacular landscapes both in Greece and in Italy, Fran conquered more Greece to my Italy but we both would repeat both destinations without hesitation.
With respect to motorcycles, the BMW R45 of 5 special was endured with everything that was thrown at it and the sling cb the same thing, the people were surprised when we told them what our trip was. Six days after leaving the refugee camp we were at home with ours. It has been an experience that I will surely repeat.
