Spokes4Hope co-founder Kevin Howell
According to data from the Texas Department of Family andbrProtective Services, there were more than 39,000 confirmed cases of child abusebracross Texas in 2011. Across the United States child abuse is reported oncebrevery ten seconds. These are the children that speak to Kevin Howell's heart tellingbrhim to continue to brighten the lives of children through his foundation,brSpokes4Hope.
Spokes4Hope's annual Southlake DPS and Keller PD MotorcyclebrRodeo is coming this Saturday, November 10th and will be held at Cabela’sbrin Fort Worth. Yet it all started on a picture perfect day in 2006 when KevinbrHowell climbed on his motorcycle and set out to enjoy a gorgeous day on thebrroad. Riding down Kimball Avenue he saw Southlake Motorcycle officer AltonbrWells and pulled over to chat. As thebrtwo caught up the officer revealed his longtime partner on the force and fellowbrmotorcycle policeman, Robert Hodges, was suffering from brain cancer. Moved bybrthe story and the fact that Robert had a young son, Kevin wrote a check thusbrstarting to help build a fund for his friend’s family. In keeping with theirbrcombined passion for motorcycling Alton and Kevin put together a ride thatbrwould not only raise money for the family’s mounting medical bills but alsobrhelp set up a trust fund for Robert’s son.
The event was a success and the experience helped Kevin realizebrhis personal drive to help children could start right from the seat of his ownbrbeloved motorcycle. So, along with Officer Wells, Howell fittingly co-founded Spokes4Hope-bra local grass roots organization with the simple goal to make children’s livesbrbetter.
“For me a motorcycle represents freedom,” explained Kevin,br“The same freedom a bicycle brings to a young child. I want to bring that joybrand freedom to children who need some inspiration.”
There is no better time to give an inspiring gift than overbrthe holidays. For this reason Spokes4Hopebrworks tirelessly to gather and give away brand new bicycles to abused childrenbrduring the Christmas season. Spokes4Hopebrbelieves bicycles give kids some relief from the stresses of everyday life. Bybrholding motorcycle rallies and various other special events, they raises fundsbrto purchase bikes and helmets while working with advocacy centers and otherbrnon-profits to give the bikes away.
Kevin sums it up best, “It really inspires kids to knowbrsomeone thought enough of them to give them a bike.”
What all seems so clearly evident for Kevin today was unexpectedlybrfound years ago when Craig Ludwig, a friend and former NHL hockey player asked himbrto ride along to a hockey camp for kids from the Children's Advocacy Center ofbrCollin County. The center in Collin County is just one of many advocacybrorganizations across Texas and across the country dedicated to providingbrjustice and healing for children who have experienced the trauma of abuse andbrneglect.
After beginning with the Collin County center, Kevin andbrSpokes4Hope brought their charitable giving to Denton County and now he is rampingbrup to work with the statewide Child Advocacy Centers of Texas, (CACTX) locatedbrin Austin. Kevin wants to expand Spokes4Hope's reach across the largest statebrin the country and the one his family has called home for generations.
A fifth generation native Texan, Kevin Howell grew up inbrColleyville where his grandparents moved in 1947. His mother was a member ofbrGrapevine High School's graduating class of 1956 and Kevin and his wife of 26bryears, Gayla, have been residents of Southlake for the last 16 years. The couple are recent empty nesters afterbrtheir own daughter Kayla graduated from Carroll in 2010.
With more than 20 years in the technology business, Kevin isbrVice President of Sales for EdgeAccess, a company that provides tactical voicebrand data communications for the U.S. government, Homeland Security, and numerousbrfire and police departments. Currently the company is marketing a new productbrkeeping Kevin busy at work and in his charitable organization.
Every year, since that first holiday season, Spokes4Hope hasbrbeen increasing the number of bikes given away. “We're so blessed to give tobrthese kids,” Kevin said. So far the organization has given away severalbrthousand bikes but Kevin has set a lofty goal to continue giving until theybrreach all the kids going through these hardships. “Not only are the kids fittedbrfor a bike that is the proper size for them, we include a bike helmet tobrpromote safe riding,” Kevin explained.
Much of the organization's funding comes through donations eitherbrfrom individuals or corporations like Bank of the West and Sam Pack Ford. Additional funds are raised throughbrmotorcycle rodeos hosted by Spokes4Hope each year around the area. Kevin said,br“God is good. We constantly wonder where we're going to get the money neededbreach year and then it always happens.”
As the charity grew other corporations stepped in tobrhelp. Tri Dal Ltd., a local Southlakebrbased construction site utilities and excavation contractor, partnered withbrKevin offering the use of one of their trailers to deliver a large number ofbrcompleted bikes to a giveaway site. Paul Gregory, Trucking Manager at Tri Dalbris now a Director of Spokes4Hope and President of Tri Dal, Rick Mullerbrgraciously donates a full size trailer to the charity to aid them in theirbrwork.
Last year, working with Samantha Golden and the singlebrparents group at Gateway church, Spokes4Hope held a bike-building event and thenbrinvited everyone to attend a motorcycle rodeo. As is Kevin's wish, every childbrin attendance at the rodeo was given their own bike. Past events have alsobrtaken place at Johnson Elementary and Old Union Elementary where hundreds ofbrbikes were assembled by little Dragons to distribute during the holiday season.
This year's rodeo ride will begin at Adam Smith's TexasbrHarley in Bedford as riders from across the area join together, and ride inbrmass to Cabela's. Kevin mentions, “We'vebrhad our rodeo at other places, but this will be the second year at Cabela's andbrwe love it there. Cabela's wants us there so that will be our home, it's abrgreat venue and we're looking forward to a long partnership.” After a renditionbrof the national anthem by one of the children, rodeo goers will enjoy food,brfun, and experience Mr. and Mrs. Santa arriving in a helicopter courtesy of thebrSouthlake DPS.
It's all about the kids for Kevin. “It's a lot of work, butbrit's all worth it, “ he declared. “You can enjoy Christmas in many ways, butbrthere's nothing better than giving to a kid. Every kid deserves a Christmas.”
Don't miss the upcoming Spokes4Hope Motorcycle Rodeo on November 10, 2012.