Leather-clad and on motorbikes - it's not the usual crowd you'd associate with charity.
The Deep South Patriots Defence Force Motorcycle Club rode throughout the lower South Island over the weekend to raise funds for the country's veterans.
About 100 riders took part in the Otago-Southland ride, about 50 leaving from the Montecillo Veterans Home & Hospital on Saturday morning.
Other groups departed from Invercargill and Cromwell before they met in Raes Junction.
The group rode through Alexandra, Queenstown, Lumsden and Invercargill on Saturday, before continuing on to Gore yesterday for a wreath-laying ceremony.
All riders paid an entry fee to participate with the money going to the RSA and New Zealand Fallen Heroes Trust.
It is the third time riders in New Zealand have taken part in the ''Ride of Respect''. Hundreds were involved at the weekend.
Before Dunedin's group left Montecillo, Dunedin RSA senior vice-president Fred Daniel told them their efforts were greatly appreciated.
''Generally, they bring back to the RSA a considerable amount of welfare finance which is going to do good things for those who thoroughly deserve it,'' he said.
He told the group about the meaning and importance of the poppy, and why the upcoming commemorations were not only for the country's veteran community but the whole nation.
''A large proportion of our population has relatives or families connected to that [wartime effort] and they have in turn contributed in service of their country,'' he said.
The event raised $1200.
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Comments
Timothy Brown, you need to get your facts straight, and what a load of BS
"Leather-clad and on motorbikes - it's not the usual crowd you'd associate with charity."
motorcyclists as a whole tend to do quite a bit of fundraising for our communities, how much do you do. typical of NZ media these days, don't let the facts get in the way of a BS story