In Lehigh County, motorcyclists hit the road for addiction awareness
Saturday's weather was so flawless, so chrome-bright and breezy, that it was easy to forget the motorcyclists roaring out of Alburtis on their earsplitting machines were bearing a message both urgent and sad acoss western Lehigh and eastern Berks counties.
The procession from the Alburtis Fire Company into the countryside and back again was the eighth edition of "Corey and Kimberley's Ride," an annual memorial and awareness event honoring two young people stolen away by drug addiction — and, by extension, everyone else who's met the same fate.
Corey Deprill of Orefield was 22 when he died of an overdose in 2011. Kimberly O'Rourke of Bethlehem died the same way the following year. She was 24.
Corey's parents, Chuck and Sue Deprill, befriended Kimberly's parents, Bob and Mary O'Rourke, and launched the ride in 2016. It was held in Macungie for a few years before relocating to Alburtis, where the fire company hosts post-ride food and activities.
"Anything for the community to help out," said fire company member Steve Wiggins. "We're happy to instill awareness of causes like this."
The Deprills were on hand Saturday, but the O'Rourkes were not. They were lost to another tragedy four years ago when the motorcycle they were driving was hit by a delivery truck during a recreational Father's Day ride in 2020.
Bob O'Rourke's mother was there, though. Her name is Rose Mott and she was a cheerful and affectionate presence as she greeted friends with hugs and strangers with pats on the arm.
"I ride for my son, his wife and my granddaughter," she said. "And this is the only time of year I ride."
The ride has never been a massive event — the last two years, in particular, were hampered by rain — but Mott said it's always worthwhile.
"If we can save one life, steer one person in the right direction, it's worth it," she said.
She eyed the crowd of men and women waiting to mount their bikes.
"You have many years of recovery here you wouldn't even know about," she added. "I have people in my family with 38 years of recovery. If they can stay clean all those years, someone might think 'Maybe I can do it.'"
Churck Deprill said about 40 bikers signed on this year.
"We're happy, though more would be better," he said. "This is the first year we scheduled a rain date, so of course it's nice out."
Darlene Lewis of Northampton was there. She is among the yearly guests who share stories of unimaginable heartache, all traceable to the deadly drugs — heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone and many more — that insinuate their way into the lives of loved ones.
Lewis' son, Dustin, for instance, had shoulder surgery and was prescribed the painkiller percocet, which is a mix of oxycodone and acetaminophen.
Another surgery followed. So did more percocet.
"It just snowballed," Lewis said.
By the time Dustin was 30, addiction had conquered him so thoroughly that he took his own life by leaping from a bridge in 2014.
Dustin's sister, Amber, saw what drugs had done to her brother and vowed never to do them, but fell into a habit anyway. She survived Dustin by less than a year, overdosing on heroin in July 2015.
"I linked up with Chuck shortly after my daughter passed," said Lewis, who is raising Amber's children. "He spoke at the [Whitehall High School] auditorium."
Before the ride, John Wescoe of Catasauqua offered a prayer and a blessing of the motorcycles.
"By the grace of God, I'm a recovering alcoholic and addict myself," he said. "I know what it's like to be an addict. We all appreciate the fact that the biker brotherhood has come together like this to support such an important cause."
Morning Call reporter Daniel Patrick Sheehan can be reached at 610-820-6598 or
