ALGONA - In the summer of 2002, Wayne Wierson and five friends took off from Ames on their motorcycles, heading toward Anamosa.
Halfway into the trip, a van, driven by a man who allegedly fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the centerline, plowing into the group. Three of the riders were killed, one lost his leg and another suffered severe head injuries. Wierson escaped with a cut on his finger and an eternity of bad dreams.
''I was sitting at home, trying to figure out a way to deal with the images in my head,'' Wierson said. ''After a while, I realized that I needed to get out and talk to people about being aware of motorcycles. That's how I become involved with the 'Share the Road' program.''
Wierson, now the state coordinator of the program, was at the 24th annual Freedom Rally this weekend, hosted by A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education - ABATE, along with Assistant Coordinator Sharon Stone (not the actress). Wierson and Stone manned a booth, hoping to promote awareness of their program and perhaps prevent a few accidents in the process.
''We've put on a presentation each day of the rally,'' Wierson said. ''We do it to let ABATE members know what we're doing for their safety. We're looking out for the safety of anyone who rides.''
Stone agreed, saying that stories like Wierson's are becoming all too frequent.
''What a lot of people don't realize is that even though you may ride a motorcycle, that doesn't mean you know to look out for one when you're driving a car,'' Stone said. ''All of us ride, but we don't always think about other riders once we're off the bike.''
This year's rally was once again held at ABATE's campground, just outside Algona. Nearly 10,000 bikers from around the nation descended on Algona to celebrate the Fourth of July, camp out and have a good time.
''I've seen license plates from as far away as Texas and Montana,'' said Kent Clemons, public relations director for the rally. ''It's always a kick when riders from out of state show up.''
Clemons described the Freedom Rally as a ''mini-Sturgis,'' a reference to the annual rally held in South Dakota. What the Freedom Rally lacks in size compared to Sturgis, it more than makes up for in entertainment.
''We've got 16 bands and more than 30 vendors this year,'' Clemons said. ''Sled pulls, dirt drags, tattoo contests ... just about everything you'd expect from a good rally.''
With tents and Harleys as far as the eye can see, the campground, once known as the Plum Creek Elk Ranch, looked more like a small city, with food, water and emergency medical services available. Members of the Christian Motorcycle Association handed out water and snacks, making sure that everyone stayed hydrated. Campers respect each other and their gear, making for a very relaxed environment, according to Clemons.
''Everyone is here to have a good time,'' Clemons said. ''There's always going to be a troublemaker or two, but the people at events like this are usually pretty good about policing themselves.''
As for Wierson and Stone, this is the first rally where they've set up a booth to promote ''Share the Road,'' though they're hoping it won't be the last.
''One of the primary goals of ABATE is to make everyone safer on the highway,'' Wierson said. ''We teach people how to ride motorcycles the right way, the safe way, and we want to continue to do so.
''ABATE stands for A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education. Education is so important, that we put it in our name.''
Contact Don Cogger at (515) 573-2141 or dcogger@messengernews.net
