Story and photos by William Smith
The 219 Riderz are more much than a Burlington motorcycle club.
“We’re family,” said club president Anthony “Falc” Harris.
Club members strive to better the community. They are a family that will show up at charity events at a moment’s notice or aid a fellow rider in need.
“Sure, we all like to ride, but it’s more than riding. It’s about providing together. There’s always been a stigma about motorcycle clubs,” said 219 Riderz vice president Kelvin Anderson.
The terminology of the club might be familiar to some — prospective members are called prospects, and they have to earn their way into full membership.
But that’s where the similarities with TV shows like “Sons of Anarchy” ends. Instead of the nefarious tasks asked of new members in fictional versions of a motorcycle club, 219 prospects are tasked with more positive missions.
“An elderly person might need their driveway shoveled out,” Anderson said.
If a prospect is available, they are assigned to the task first. If not, one of the regular members will do it themselves.
“We are trying to show the community that we are a positive influence rather than a menace,” Anderson said.
It’s been working.
The club was founded in Burlington two years ago and has made strides toward becoming a charity organization.
Easter egg hunts, trunk-or-treats, movie nights, coat drives, they do it all, and often weekly.
The members regularly volunteer at other organizations’ events, often wearing the trademark black and yellow leather vests around their backs.
“We were called a gang at first,” said 219 Riderz prospect Conway Wolf.
But the word is getting out — these are some friendly bikers.
Humble origins lead to new clubhouse
A few months ago, the 219 Riderz opened up a new clubhouse on 1400 N. Eighth St. Club prospect Ed Malone led the redevelopment project.
“This place was a shell before. There was no wiring,” Malone said.
The clubhouse is located in the old North Hill Tap.
While certain aspects of the building were still used, the place was gutted and refitted to provide the club new home.
Anthony Harris helped start the club in August of 2019 — a spin-off of the 219 Riderz based in Indiana.
In the Burlington chapter, he found friendship and a mission.
Along with his wife, Jamie, known as the First Lady of the 219 Riderz, he has helped steer the club.
“I’m here to support my man,” she said. “We get really involved with the kids.”
Jamie, who also goes by her handle of "Lil’ Mama," is the primary bartender at the clubhouse and enforces the same sort of rules any bar would.
When kids are in the building during one of the club’s many community functions, the drinks switch from alcohol to pop and water.
It’s not their riding prowess for which the 219 Riderz want to be known.
“We want people to have a place of comfort for everyone,” Jamie said, noting that anyone who needs a safe place to stay for the night can contact her.
A Friendsgiving meal
A few days before Thanksgiving, members of the 219 Riderz convened at their clubhouse, cooked up some turkey and mashed potatoes (among other dishes), and started serving anyone who walked through the door.
But they did it the 219 Riderz way. Children were served first, and those who arrived early had some coloring materials to keep them busy.
Then it was time for the women, who did most of the work preparing the meal.
The men ate last, given the limited room inside the clubhouse.
They stood outside in a casual circle as the others ate inside, talking about football, life, and, of course, motorcycles.
Before the meal, everyone — men, women, and children — stood together in a circle and bowed their heads in prayer, thanking God for the meal they were about to consume.