Local Motorcycle Club Helps Families Affected By Fires

The Heartland Heat is the local chapter of the Wind and Fire Motorcycle Club.

“We’re a motorcycle club, some people are frightened of that,” said Willi Butler, with the Wind and Fire Motorcycle Club.

While they may look the part of tough guys. “We want to make sure that everybody is safe and if they’re not safe, we want to tell you that we’re there to help you,” said Butler.

The club was started twenty-five years ago. “We ride Harleys, and we try to assist families that have been affected by fire or smoke,” said Butler.

There are only two requirements to be a member of the Wind and Fire Motorcycle Club, you must be a current or retired firefighter and ride a Harley, but membership is an honor, and it comes with the responsibility to serve. “The last family we helped was about two weeks ago, we spent $3,000 on a family of eight,” said Butler.

They are there at a moment’s notice to help uninsured or underinsured families after a fire. “We get on board with the Red Cross, sometimes the fire department liaison will give them our name,” said Butler.

Once they get the list of needs, they shop for everything from clothes and shoes to appliances. “You can’t take away an expression on someone’s face that has lost everything they have, and you bring them just a few things,” said Butler. 

The money comes from the club members and other supporting organizations, but no matter what when their services are needed, they are going to help. “We’ll go out and work for tips at restaurants, whatever, we’ve had to do that in the past,” said Butler.

Whatever they have to do, nothing compares to the feeling they get from helping the families. “Better than any chocolate cake you could ever imagine,” said Butler.