Tag Archives: Covid

History repeats with Bloodbikes Australia

Volunteer motorcyclist group Bloodbikes Australia  recently celebrated its second birthday delivering blood and other medical samples.

The group started before the pandemic but has become a pivotal last-resort volunteer service for collecting COVID tests.

Founder Peter Davis says the timing of the Bloodbikes with the pandemic has not only been fortuitous, but also a case of history repeating.

He points out that during the 1919 Spanish Flu pandemic, motorcyclists were at the forefront of volunteering in Australia to aid in supporting community efforts.

Volunteer riders during the Spanish Flu pandemic

“They were called SOS motorcyclists, transporting medicines samples even Doctors and nurses. Does this sound familiar?” he says.

“I had no idea of our predecessors when I started Bloodbikes Australia, but isn’t it amazing how history repeats itself,” he says.

“About 98% of our current volunteer work is in the fight against COVID pandemic.”

But that’s not the limit of Bloodbikes Australia’s efforts. Volunteers throughout Australia are doing last-resort medical transport when all other methods are not available. 

They transport biopsies, medicines, blood, blood tests and even consumables and equipment, helping out when the despatch system is stretched to the limit.

Bloodbikes
Bloodbikes volunteers with Peter at right

The most resent example of this started last Saturday (11 September 2021) with Bloodbikes Australia offering a weekend medical transport service to the five hospitals in the West Moreton health district in South East Queensland. 

Previously Boonah, Laidley, Gatton and Esk did not have a weekend service to get samples back to Pathology in Ipswich Hospital. Now, thanks to the volunteers in Bloodbikes Australia, they do.

The first weekend run — one each on Saturday and Sunday, — covered a 266km circuit and transported samples and consumable between hospitals and back to the lab at Ipswich.

The first weekend was also an induction for around 14 volunteers.

“I’m not sure who got the most out of it; the delighted and grateful healthcare professionals or us the volunteers,” he says.

If you would like to volunteer, check out their website www.bloodbikesaustralia.org.au.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Inernational Blood Bikes Awareness Day

It may be Friday the 13th, but it’s also International Blood Bikes Awareness Day and an opportunity for riders to give back to their community in a meaningful and fun way.

The Blood Bikes movement began in the UK some 25 years ago and has since spread to Ireland, Hungary and, in 2019, it was established in Australia. 

Blood Bikes Australia founder Peter Davis says they now have 340 volunteer Aussie riders who offer a free, last-resort transport service for healthcare providers to get anything from where it is to where it needs to be.

That includes blood samples and even COVID-19 tests.

Volunteers are in all states and Territories of Australia volunteering for 23 healthcare providers.

Peter says that in the past two years they have completed 890 deliveries and are getting busier every day during the pandemic.

Blood Bikes Australia volunteers pandemic coronavirus covid-19 volunteer
Peter (centre) with volunteers

In Australia, Blood Bikers usually only wear their vest while on the job, but on International Blood Bikes Awareness day they will be out and about wearing their vests to lift visibility and awareness of the vital service.

If you would like to volunteer your bike and time, or if you work in a healthcare organisation that can use the service, visit their web site www.BloodbikesAustralia.org.au.

It includes information, videos and contact details. Or you can email Peter directly by clicking here.

Peter says Bloodbikes Australia does not aim to be a primary pathology transport service provider but to offer an alternative to getting an expensive taxi in an emergency and when all usual methods are exhausted.

“Bloodbikes Australia always welcomes more volunteers and healthcare providers for whom we can volunteer,” he says.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Safe Post-Ride Entertainment in the Time of Covid

Southern Arizona motorcycle road
Wide open spaces and winding roads highlight southern Arizona.

Over the years, I have penned many Rider articles about entertainment opportunities that can enhance great rides. I’ve written about riding to a Pearl Jam concert in Montana. I have traced my way on the tarmac and in print from watching “Hamlet” in Oregon to “Much Ado” in Utah. I love mixing concerts and theater with motorcycle travel.

While riding is clearly a great social-distancing activity, you may think that the post-ride entertainment aspect has been nullified by Covid. To some extent, that is certainly true. However, responsible and creative venues and organizers are finding ways to stage safe theatrical and musical events.

Southern Arizona wine country
Southern Arizona’s wine country is a mix of grasslands and grape vines.

On a recent tour through southern Arizona’s mine and wine region, I found two such events at the end of lengthy days in the saddle. Both were entertaining and, most importantly, I left each feeling public safety was prioritized and well-planned.

Tucson Blues

After carving through the historic mine country of south central Arizona, I spent a night at the historic Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson. It so happened that there was a Blues and BBQ event being staged at the hotel. The outdoor concert filled my post-ride afternoon and evening with a nice diversion.

Hotel Congress Tucson Arizona
Blues, BBQ, and public safety at the Hotel Congress in Tucson.

Masks and social distancing were mandated, and the happy audience willingly complied. Interestingly, I was not the only motorcyclist attending. A couple of riders rolled up on Indians, pulled off leather jackets, and immediately pulled on masks.

The musicians were great, the BBQ was delectable, and the social consciousness was refreshing. The Hotel Congress has an intimate indoor concert room that will surely be vacant until the virus is held in check, but their outdoor courtyard venue will continue to allow for safe, small gatherings.

I had a chat with the hotel’s general manager, Todd Hanley, about his concerns in re-opening the hotel and staging limited entertainment opportunities. It was clear that he was carefully balancing public safety with some return to normalcy for the business. He had a meeting planned that afternoon with city officials on how to continue that balance.

Phoenix Music Theater

The second day of my adventure, I traced the southern Arizona wine region and border towns. After five hours in the saddle, I ended my day in central Phoenix. I again found something to get me out of the hotel room.

Phoenix Theater Company
The Phoenix Theatre Company put on a great show for a socially distanced audience.

The Phoenix Theatre Company has found ways to stage a limited-attendance season. The production I attended was “Unwrapped: An Original Christmas Revue.” The email confirmation that I received after purchasing my ticket outlined the Covid precautions that would be implemented. There would be no tolerance of non-adherence.

The PTC has moved all productions outdoors to an adjacent church. The setting is a fantastic palm-tree-accented, open-air courtyard. Again, masks were required at all times, even when seated. Pairs of comfortable lawn chairs were widely spaced throughout the courtyard. Programs were viewed via Q-codes on the armrests, and contactless food ordering was accessed the same way.

The production was supremely entertaining, the sound system was top-notch, and the musicians were talented. Again, I left the show feeling totally comfortable with the safety and audience support of the effort.

There is a full season of entertainment scheduled at the venue, and I will certainly be back for the March production of “Ring of Fire,” as I am a big Johnny Cash fan.

Clearly, there are those who will argue that full isolation is the only responsible approach in this pandemic. However, my recent journey has reinforced for me that responsible and carefully-orchestrated events are both entertaining and safe. There are still options for motorcyclists who crave post-ride entertainment.

The post Safe Post-Ride Entertainment in the Time of Covid first appeared on Rider Magazine.

Source: RiderMagazine.com