Riding for a mission

This holiday season, one Hood County motorcycle club is riding for a mission — literally.

Originally based in Louisiana, Rogue 22 MC is a motorcycle club that consists of like-minded individuals who share a brotherhood and a passion for serving the community.

Although the Granbury chapter has only been established for a short while, the members are already making a huge difference in the community — including their most recent fundraiser.

Following a community motorcycle ride on Sunday, Dec. 3, local members of Rogue 22 MC will be accepting donations for Mission Granbury from 1-6 p.m. at Lowe’s Home Improvement, 1021 E. U.S. Hwy. 377.

Mission Granbury, located at 3611 Plaza E. Ct., is known as the community hub for help, centralizing resources under one roof to help those in need or crisis.

The idea for the club’s donation event stemmed from Granbury resident Katie Trevino, who regularly volunteers at Mission Granbury.

“The company I work for kind of led us to doing a lot of community outreach and inspired us to step out into the community and see where needs were, and Mission Granbury is one of the places that I chose to do my outreach at,” Trevino said. “I have worked with them on multiple occasions now doing their food distribution pantries.”

“(Katie) said she sees a lot of people who are in need around the holiday season, so she brought the idea to the table, and I was like, ‘Well, that’s a no brainer. Absolutely,’” said Rogue 22 MC President Aaron Gentry. “We help out quite a few organizations here in town, but for Mission Granbury, this will be our first (time to help). Obviously, we can't help every person out there, but you never know what tomorrow will bring.”

The club’s event — creatively called “Ride for a Mission” — will allow community members to donate items that will stock the shelves of Mission Granbury, benefiting Hood County families in need.

Items needed for donations include: heaters, sleeping bags, blankets, socks, shampoo/conditioner, soap, razors, shaving cream, toothpaste, toothbrushes and feminine products.

Trevino said she first spoke with Andi Luna, EAN coordinator at Mission Granbury, and asked her what the nonprofit organization’s biggest needs are during the winter months.

"I made a list and then talked to our ride club and said, ‘What do you guys think about jumping in and trying to see if we can't get these items for them?’ and they were all for it. They said, ‘Take it, run with it, and do what you need to do,’” she said. “It was just something that hit my heart while I was there with Andi, seeing the people come through and how happy everybody was. The people that work there at Mission Granbury are so giving and their hearts are so big, and I just loved it. I loved working with them and wanted to help them.”

“At a time when toys and turkey dinners are on everyone's radar, some of our most critical needs go unmet,” Dusti Scovel, executive director for Mission Granbury, told the HCN. “It makes all the difference when a group asks us first what we need, and then puts their time and energy toward meeting that need. This time of year, we can never have enough heaters, blankets and hygiene products to help those in need. We're so grateful Rogue 22 is doing this Ride for a Mission. Every donation will be given to someone in need.”

Trevino said she’s only been volunteering with Mission Granbury for about three months, but the nonprofit organization has already captured her heart.

"They have so many different departments there, especially CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), the food pantry, and many outreaches they do with the women's shelter. It all kind of ties into each other,” she said. “The different departments help each other out. I absolutely just love it. You can't go in there and work with these ladies and not just fall in love with what they do.”

She said the goal is to bring in enough donations so Mission Granbury can be well stocked with enough supplies for the community this year.

"We've gotten the word out,” Trevino said. “We spread it on social media, we've put it out through flyers, we've put it out by word of mouth, our friends, and all of the biker community, so our goal is to have it where they don't have to worry about where these supplies are coming from.”

Gentry explained that “Rogue” in the club’s name refers to the freedom the members have, while “22” symbolizes the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day.

“Personally, it's like one of (those) feelings you really can't explain,” he said, referring to the community donations. “It feels good. There is something about being a leader in a group. You have very high standards that you have got to follow by, you know, and if I'm not putting off a good image, how do I expect the rest of my guys to? And that's what I want everybody to see.”

Gentry added he is excited to build a relationship with Mission Granbury and spread positivity — not only throughout the community, but to his children, as well.

“The holiday season is our favorite time to do this,” Gentry said. “My two boys, we’re trying to incorporate them at a young age to where they know they’re doing something good. That’s our next generation. You got to start teaching them young.”

Trevino added that some community members have already donated a few items as they won’t be able to make it to the Ride for a Mission event.

“I already have a small stash to take with me to the drive, but I hope a lot more people can come out — cold or not. We would love to see everybody out there,” she said.

The meeting place to kickstart the ride will be at RaceTrac on U.S. Highway 377, with everyone meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, and then starting the ride at 1 p.m. Gentry said anyone around Granbury is welcome to join the convoy during Rogue 22’s Ride for a Mission.

Individuals can send cash donations through Rogue 22 MC’s Cash App: $Rogue22Granbury or Venmo: Rogue22MC-Granbury. For any fund donation, individuals are asked to type “Mission Granbury Items” in the description.

If anyone is also interested in joining the Rogue 22 MC club, they can message the Rogue22 MC Granbury Facebook page.

For more information regarding Ride for a Mission, contact Trevino at 817-578-7547. For more information on Rogue 22, call 817-894-7504.