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Motorcycle club slates fundraiser

Event to raise money for school supplies had been postponed after Dayton man killed in crash.

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By James Cummings, Staff Writer 10:10 AM Thursday, August 27, 2009

DAYTON — Earl Grant had planned to be at Dayton View Park with the Young Bloods Motorcycle Club Saturday, Aug. 29, helping to raise funds to take a few needy kids school shopping, said Nicole Brown, the club’s business manager.

But when the event takes place, Grant, who was vice-president of the Young Bloods, will be missing. He died earlier this month in a motorcycle accident.

“He was pushing everybody to get involved,” Brown said. “He was a wonderful guy. Always humble, always pleasant. Everybody loved him.”

Grant, 40, of Dayton died when the motorcycle he was riding went out of control, and he was thrown into a utility pole on West Third Street near Ardmore Avenue on Aug. 13.

The next day, members of a dozen local motorcycle clubs gathered at the site of the accident for an impromptu memorial for the man who rode under the handle “Big Dawg.”

Brown said the Young Bloods club, which is based in Dayton, has about 300 members, and most of those in the club are working people with families. She said Grant was involved in efforts to change the image of motorcycle clubs, and the school supply event scheduled for Saturday was part of that.

“There are some riders who race in the streets and do stupid things like that, but we’re trying to do some positive things in the community,” Brown said.

Ken Marcellus, coordinator for the Southwest Priority Board, said residents have complained about some motorcyclists. The principal complaints are about riders with loud vehicles tearing up and down Third Street, Germantown, Gettysburg and Lakeview.

But Marcellus said, in general, city officials have had positive relations with the larger motorcycle clubs of West Dayton such as the Young Bloods and the Toros. He said the clubs, whose memberships are predominantly black, are often involved in parades and other civic activities.

“Not long ago, some officers from the clubs showed up at the Southwest Priority Board and offered to help with anything the board was doing,” Marcellus said.

Brown said the Young Bloods scheduled their school supply event for Aug. 22 but postponed it because Grant’s funeral was held that day. The group didn’t cancel the event, though, because she said the Young Bloods are trying to provide supplies for up to 1,000 underprivileged children.

The event will be held Saturday at Dayton View Park at the corner of North Broadway Street and Superior Avenue on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Supporters are asked to bring pencils, pens, crayons, bookbags and other school supplies to donate. There will be a raffle for a laptop computer.

The Young Bloods are also trying to recruit barbers and beauticians to provide free hair cuts for neighborhood children. Information is available from Brown at (937) 245-2121.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2395 or jcummings@Dayton DailyNews.com.

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