Children’s Advocacy Center names Bikers Against Child Abuse as honorary chairs at Cowboys & Caviar event

Sexual abuse of a child – it’s a subject that no-one wants to talk about and everyone hopes will never be their problem. The statistics are grim.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3.2 million reports to Child Protective Services of child abuse in 2007 – 8 percent of those were sexual in nature. It’s believed that one in every five boys and one in every three girls will suffer some form of sexual or physical abuse before their 18th birthday. It’s easy enough to understand why most would prefer to stay as far away from this tragic problem as possible.

The people who voluntarily step up to work on these front lines care deeply enough to try and right the wrongs, even though dealing with it makes it hard to sleep at night sometimes. It takes a tough man or woman to crawl down in that darkness with a child – and pull them back out into the light.

And even though the members of Bikers Against Child Abuse, or BACA, are about as tough as it gets, even they will admit to having trouble controlling their emotions around these volatile and devastating circumstances.  To honor these men and women for their commitment and courage, BACA, Lost Pines Chapter, will be the honorary chairs of this year’s Children’s Advocacy Center’s main fundraiser, the sixth annual Cowboys & Caviar, scheduled for Saturday, March 27 at Smithville’s Riverbend Park.

“We honor those who have made a significant impact for the Center by helping spread the word and volunteering,” said Kathleen Handy, this year’s chair for Cowboys & Caviar. “They do a lot for the children.”

BACA

BACA was started in 1995 in Utah by a licensed child therapist who saw a need for a group like BACA to help innocent victims overcome the trauma they have been subjected to, and help them to face their abuser in court.

And it’s easy enough to imagine that any child may feel empowered if he or she has several leather-clad, chain-bearing, biker-types forming a protective barrier around them. The rewards for both bikers and child can be plentiful. But there are sacrifices, gladly made, too.

“An important part is that we hope to make them feel comfortable with themselves,” explained ‘Big Daddy’*, president of the local BACA chapter. “We want them to stand tall when they get on the stand. We become extended family.”

It all starts when a child enters the legal system. If the child’s family invites BACA in to help, an ‘adoption’ is arranged. Big Daddy became involved when he saw an adoption in the local newspaper.

“I knew when I saw it that it was exactly what I wanted to do,” he said. “When I saw ‘Mapster’ and ‘Big Foot’ walk in wearing their vests, they were bigger than life.”

Mapster says that even though he had the perfect upbringing, helping kids who have run into trouble has turned into a calling.

“It’s like nothing else,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of things and taken pride in doing them, but the first time you see a kid going from hiding to pumping their fist, it brings tears to some eyes.”

He means his eyes – and he’s not the only one.

When Big Daddy found himself getting emotional, he wondered if it was normal.

“It didn’t take long to find out that it was normal,” he said. “You can level it out but there are times when the circumstances are extraordinary and it all comes out.”

Mapster agreed.

“The strength of some of these kids is amazing,” he said.

Adoptions take about an hour and it’s typical for 20 or more bikers to show up. When they roar noisily down a suburban street or rural dirt road, people notice. A certificate is presented and the child comes to understand that he now has a new extended family of brothers and sisters – brothers and sisters who are not afraid to go to the mat with him. The child receives a BACA vest with his or her name on it and, if acceptable to mom, gets the ride of his or her life on the back of a motorcycle. Most kids come out of this ceremony with a new lease on life, BACA and Center members agree.

“If you haven’t hooked them by then, when you take them for that ride, it’s a done deal,” said Mapster. “It’s all about empowering them to feel good about themselves.”

What BACA members do for abused children cannot be overemphasized, according to CAC director Cheryl Gartner.

“It’s amazing that they take their time to show this child that what happened to them is not okay and it’s not their fault,” said Cheryl, director of the CAC. “These guys are out there doing it – they jump in full force. I interview a lot of kids. You can see and feel the terror they’ve had to live with. These guys come in and give those kids a sense of safety. I can call them at the drop of a hat and I know they will be there.”

Besides the adoption ceremony, BACA members have different levels of involvement with abused children, including putting up a barrier between the child and his or her abuser.

“We are not a vigilant group,” Mapster said. “However, if there is a need, we are more than willing – and able – to be the obstacle between the child and further abuse.”

That may include camping out at a child’s house and escorting them to and from school until the threat has gone away.

“One of the best things is to pull up for a follow up visit and realize that the child has moved on and doesn’t need us anymore,” said Big Daddy. “That’s when we know we have done our job.”

And even if that happens, the group stands ready to come back if necessary.

“Once a BACA kid, always a BACA kid,” Mapster said.

BACA applicants are subjected to full background checks and must be active for a year as a support member before they earn their BACA patch. Both Big Daddy and Mapster know they are where they should be right now.

“I had never found a real place to give back,” Mapster explained. “ It was a natural match between my love of bikes and the opportunity to give back.”

*Psuedonyms are used to protect the members of BACA from retribution at the hands of the accused child abusers, and because children are more comfortable with names that sound friendly and familiar.

CAC

The CAC offers hope and help to children who have been abused and their non-offending family members. In 2007, the Center helped more than 800 children in Bastrop, Fayette and Lee counties. The Center provides abused children with a warm and non-threatening environment in which they can feel safe to talk about their abuse during forensic interviews that can be used to help put predators away.

Besides their own trained staff and volunteers, the Center is comprised of members of law enforcement, district attorney’s office, medical professionals, Child Protective Services and more.

Each year, the CAC sponsors Cowboys & Caviar, their main fundraiser. The CAC has seen a large part of their normal governmental funding dry up in the last year, so the need for help is larger than ever.

“Government funding has been cut significantly,” Handy said. “We’ve seen an 18 percent increase in the number of children we are interviewing. Our needs are up and our funding is down. We really need the community to support us.”

Cowboys & Caviar is so named because the event can be as dressed up – or down – as the attendee is comfortable with.

“What I like about our event is that it is fun,” Gartner said. “You can get dressed up – the caviar component – or just kick back in jeans – the cowboy component.”

Gartner said she believes that people will help if they understand what the Center does.

“The business we deal with is ugly,” she said. “This year, we decided that people really need to hear more about what we do. We want to make sure people understand the impact their donation has.”

Cowboys and Caviar starts at 6 p.m. The event includes a silent and live auction and both Gartner and Handy were excited to tell about the big live auction item – a 14-day stay at a private home in Crete, Greece at Agia Pelegia beach. Tickets to the event are by pre-sale only and the Center is still accepting sponsors. Call 321-6161 for more information.