In 2010, for the fourth year in a row, the Harley-Davidson® Motor Company has donated a motorcycle to support the National Law Enforcement Museum—in this case, a 2010 Road King® Peace Officer Special Edition. The Memorial Fund is proud to continue this partnership and welcomes Harley-Davidson’s leadership and support. The non-profit Memorial Fund is selling raffle tickets for just $25 each, with the proceeds going to build the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, DC.

Steve St. Thomas, Director of Police & Fleet Sales for Harley-Davidson®, Inc., joined John Shanks, Director of Law Enforcement Relations, at the Fund’s Ambassador Reception during National Police Week this past May to announce the 2010 partnership.

The Harley-Davidson® motorcycle has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $18,402, and only 6,000 raffle tickets are being printed. Tickets can be purchased in one of two ways: by calling either 877-622-BIKE (2453) or 202-737-3402 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (EDT), or in person at the Memorial Fund’s Visitors Center & Store, located at 400 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC, where the motorcycle is currently on display.

The raffle drawing will take place and the winner announced on the evening of Thursday, October 14, during the Inaugural Gala celebrating the National Law Enforcement Museum’s groundbreaking, which will take place earlier that day. The winner need not be present to win.

“Harley-Davidson Motor Company has a long and distinguished history of supporting law enforcement in our country, so it was not surprising that the Company would step up early in the campaign to support the National Law Enforcement Museum and would remain a strong and reliable partner ever since,” said Craig W. Floyd, the Memorial Fund’s chairman and CEO.

He noted that the raffles of the first three motorcycles donated by the Harley-Davidson® Motor Company raised more than $135,000 for the Museum campaign. The previous winners were a U.S. Border Patrol agent from California who had been on special assignment to Washington, DC; a Florida woman who had been riding on the back of her husband’s Harley-Davidson® for two decades; and a corrections lieutenant from New Jersey who recently retired and now spends much of his time touring New England on his new motorcycle.

Authorized by Congress in the year 2000, the National Law Enforcement Museum (www.LawEnforcementMuseum.org) is an architecturally inspiring, 55,000-square-foot, mostly underground museum that will be located adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in downtown DC. The Museum will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibits, collections, research and education. Groundbreaking for the Museum will take place on October 14, 2010, with a projected opening in late 2013.

The privately funded Museum has launched an $80 million capital campaign, with more than $40 million raised to date. Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton serve as co-chairs of the Museum’s National Honorary Campaign Committee, which also includes seven former Attorneys General of the United States, as well as other former government officials and celebrities.

For more information about the Memorial Fund’s Harley-Davidson® motorcycle raffle, visit www.LawMemorial.org/HarleyRaffle. Raffle tickets may be purchased by phone—at 877-622-BIKE (2453) or 202-737-3402—between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (EDT), Monday through Friday.

As most riders know, it’s simply an unwritten rule to stop for those in distress. Of course, rider ethics go well beyond the open road, as motorcyclists often stop on the journey of life to help those in need – rider and non-rider alike.  It’s with that in mind that Harley-Davidson has introduced a new clothing line designed especially to aid those who have been affected by breast cancer.

The new Harley-Davidson Pink Label Collection – inspired by women who have been affected by breast cancer and which has been designed to provide those women support during their difficult ride – shares a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every Pink Label Collection item to help fund the YourShoes 24/7 Support Center, which is administered by the national non-profit Breast Cancer Network of Strength. The YourShoes center, which helped about 50,000 people in 2008, is staffed by breast cancer survivors who provide immediate emotional relief, at any time of day, to people affected by breast cancer.

According to Kathy Whalen, who is the Category Manager of General Merchandise for Harley-Davidson, the Pink Label Collection was conceived and designed by the Harley-Davidson Women’s MotorClothes Product Development and Design team.  She says they were inspired to create the Pink Label Collection by the countless women riders and passengers that they’ve encountered on the open road, as well as at events, who’ve been impacted by breast cancer:

“We wanted to create something that honored their personal journey, as well as let them know that they never have to ride alone.”

The Pink Label Collection is comprised of 12 of the most popular women’s MotorClothes designs (each featuring a tasteful touch of pink), including jackets, pants, gloves, helmet, eyewear and shirts, including:

• The Pink Label Leather Jacket
• The Pink Label Hoodie
• The Pink Label Pant
• Pink Label Tee’s
• Pink Label Headwraps

To find out more about the Pink Label Collection, or to purchase items from the collection, visit your local Harley-Davidson dealership or go to www.harley-davidson.com/pinklabel.

I mean really, riding isn’t just for guys, right girls?

It just so happens that a few days ago, Harley Davidson announced they’ve teamed up with The Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels (who will have a show of her own on NBC called Losing It with Jillian), to encourage women to gear up and get behind the wheel of their own motorcycle.

Michaels, who I’m happy to learn is a life-long motorcycle enthusiast and a licensed rider, is pairing up with Harley-Davidson to spotlight National Garage Party Month, which features one lucky woman – and three of her friends! – with a special weekend and an opportunity for a Michaels meet and greet in Los Angeles.  The weekend will feature participation in the Harley-Davidson Rider’s Edge New Rider Course, spa treatments and a motivational talk with Michaels on how to live a better, healthier life.

For those who are not familiar with Garage Party events, essentially it’s all about getting to learn about motorcycles and the sport of riding in a non-intimidating environment, and you can meet other women who are also interested in riding, too. These low-key, women-only events are absolutely free and cover things like basic motorcycle controls, how to customize a motorcycle’s style and how to gear up for a ride. Garage Party events are organized into small groups, and the experience can be very empowering, especially if you’ve always had a desire to ride, but didn’t know where to start. While some dealers host the event year-round, Harley-Davidson has declared the month of March to bring awareness to Garage Party events nationally.

Harley-Davidson started hosting Garage Party events at dealerships throughout the country in 2005 to encourage women to embrace the sport of motorcycling. According to recent data from the Motorcycle Industry Council, women riders now represent 13 percent of all new motorcycle purchasers and 23 percent of all motorcyclists.

The groups are small, and there will be four informational seminars:

• Motorcycle Orientation – Learn the basic differences between Harley-Davidson motorcycle families.
• Motorcycle Gear – The important attributes needed in motorcycle gear.
• Customization – Learn how to customize a motorcycle to reflect a rider’s personal style and ergonomic needs, using Fit Shop that many dealers have.
• Self-Service – Find out how just about anyone can handle the weight of a motorcycle, including an interactive experience on picking up a motorcycle – for those who are interested in trying it out.

For more information about Garage Party events, to find a Garage Party event in your area, or to learn more about the sweepstakes visit www.harley-davidson.com/garageparty.  The website also has some cool videos which feature women who are just learning to ride, and some have even shared their own stories about how they learned to ride, why they ride and what it means to them.  Check it out – it’s awesome!  If you’eve ever dreamed of rising, but never thought you could, trust me – you really can!