Yonkers MAYOR SPANO AND City Council President Lesnick to JOIN MOTORCYCLISTS in 5TH annual stop child abuse

ride Hundreds of Motorcycles Expected to Ride throughout City to Raise Awareness for Crimes Committed Against Children Yonkers, New York: April 13, 2012 Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and City Council Pres ident Chuck Lesnick will join with motorcyclists and advocates against child abu se in the 5th Annual Stop Child Abuse Ride tomorrow at the JFK Marina in Yonkers at 2:00 p.m. Following remarks by city and county leaders at 1:30 p.m., the ride, organi zed by the Yonkers Motorcycle Club, will continue through Yonkers and conclude a t 152 South Macquesten Parkway, Mount Vernon, where a fundraiser will follow. "Home should be the one place where everyone feels safe, especially a child ," said Jack OMalley, president of the Yonkers Motorcycle Club. Our club is honore d to participate in this wonderful cause and we will continue to take part until rides like this are no longer necessary, he added. OMalley will operate a black H arley Davidson Super Glide in the ride. The Yonkers Motorcycle Club is purported to be the oldest motorcycle club in the world. I look forward to joining this fun and inspirational campaign which promotes education and awareness about the mistreatment of our children, said Mayor Spano . This is my first year participating and I cant wait to hop on my quad, ride thro ugh our streets and do my part for this ever-important cause. Council President Lesnick remarked, Each year I look forward to this ride an d helping to raise awareness to stop the terrible crime of child abuse. The ride , the people, and of course, all the noise from the many motorcycles is both thr illing and inspiring. In the past Lesnick has ridden a motorcycle during the ride . The 5th Annual Stop Child Abuse Ride is an awareness campaign that aims to draw interest in the Yonkers community about acts of emotional and physical abus e, neglect and maltreatment committed against children. The effort was begun by Carol Bengis, the constituent affairs liaison in the office of the council presi dent. Bengis hopes to raise more than $1000.00 from the ride to donate to Victim s Assistance Services, My Sisters Place and the Child Abuse Prevention Center. Al l of the groups are local and provide advocacy and funds to promote the rights a nd protection of children. The month of April is National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month and c ampaigns across the country annually serve to urge educators, health professiona ls, public officials, and residents to focus their efforts collectively in the b attle to prevent child abuse. Suspected abuse can be reported to the New York St ate Child Abuse Registry, 1-800-342-3720. More information can be found on the s tates website at http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/cps/. STOP CHILD ABUSE MOTORCYCLE RIDE ROUTE START - JFK MARINA, GO RIGHT, TO WARBURTON AVE., (SOUTH) TO RIVERDALE AVE., (SOU TH) MAKE A LEFT ON VALENTINE LANE, MAKE A LEFT ON TO SOUTH BROADWAY, GO ALL THE WAY PAST CITY HALL (ON RIGHT), MAKE A LEFT ON MAIN STREET, GO UNDER RAILROAD TRA CKS U-TURN BY X20, GO BACK UP MAIN STREET, MAKE A RIGHT ON RIVERDALE AVE., THEN A LEFT ON NEPPERHAN PAST CITY HALL (ON THE LEFT), GO STRAIGHT DOWN YONKERS AVE., CONTINUING THROUGH TO MT VERNON TO S. MACQUESTEN PARKWAY AND CLUBHOUSE OF YONKE RS MC. - END