MAddOG Spring Bash T's available for a limited time

For a limited time only The PDW OFF ROAD  Spring Bash T-shirts are available to order.

You can purchase them on www.maddogsgarage.com

MAddOG Answers ....Why HEARTS for HELMETS ?

      The question was posed to me recently ... "Why HEARTS for HELMETS ? How did you get involved? " .        ......Truth is ... I'm not sure ...
      When PWD OFF ROAD liked the MAddOG Facebook page, I was curious, I went to their page and then their website (www.pwdoffroad.org) and read, yes every page , every write up. Their mission touched me and shortly thereafter I contacted their President, Darin, online. I think the first coversation went kinda like " Tell me more... fill me in".
      Darin and I became friends fast, and I was touched by his story, conviction and dedication to his cause. I can remember talking to my Dad and friends about my new friend and the incredible things he is doing through People With Disabilities OFF ROAD. The more Darin and I talked the more impressed with the PWD mission I became.
      I know .. by now you are going where is the "A-HA" moment. Well here it comes ... not sure what day it was, and not uncommon for me to wake up at 2am, This time though it was not insomnia, it was my heart screaming WAKE UP ! you need to help this group achieve their mission. OK I answered, HOW ?
      My mind skittered around, help PWD, have to hit the gym early today, hope the special order parts come in today, help PWD, the sheer logistics of making a riding trip, getting ATV's ready, tools, packing the correct gear ... wait ... what ? .... Gear ?
       How do you handle taking extra people on a ride ? Especially those who don't normally get on the trails ?  How do you outfit them safely ? Where do the helmets come from ?
                   A-HA !!!
      And there it was, I knew (being a huge safety advocate) that I could raise money for loaner helmets, I would use contacts I have been fortunate enough to made in the industry, to chip in and help out.
       I called Darin, and after kinda beating around the bush for more information , I asked  the question, "Is there a need for helmets?" , a simple but kind-of suspicious "yes" was the answer. "Well bud, I have an idea, I can't tell you yet , and need to talk to a couple people, but I will fill you in as soon as I can". "UM OK...." was His response.
      ~ Keep in mind, I am not a philanthropist , I am not a professional fundraiser, I don't get involved in causes "just to be involved". If anything I have been accused of not being involved in causes and being obnoxiously opposed to fundraisers. That being said I do have experience in creating successful businesses using planning strategy my grandfather passed on to me.
                     - rule 1 establish a need
                     - rule 2 put together a plan to assure success
                     - rule 3 set goals
                     - rule4 work hard to achieve goals
                     -rule 5 pray this works so you don't look like an idiot....
      Well rule 1 was satisfied.
      And on to rule 2.  I began to put the wheels in motion, I stopped in my local shop / sponsor and bounced the idea of donating helmets to this group PWD OFF ROAD off him, "that is a very cool idea how can I help?" was the response. "Which company is most likely to help us out in this economy ?"  I said.  " I will make a couple calls and see, I'll call you in a bit". Brandon at The Motoshop (Bend,OR)  made the calls, and the ball was rolling.
      Next step name the program and make it unique. I decided on HEARTS for HELMETS , because I was following the lead of my heart, and asking others to do the same. Promote donations through our website and on our blog and facebook, and, GET INVOLVED personally, by taking it to the streets wherever I go . Be committed to the program and to the cause.
                                       ~ we often take for granted loading up and going out for a ride -- we bitch about how much to do there is and how tough it is to get ready - Imagine doing that, not just for yourself, but for  a group of people that may have never ridden before. Talk about compounding the load.
      Rule 3. After getting an idea of how much the helmets were going to cost, I set what I thought was a good goal, $500.00 should equate to 10 Helmets. Enough to well outfit several new off roaders.
      Rule 4. Brandon (The Motoshop) loaned me a helmet to use, and gave me the idea to use an old pair of goggles and cut a money slot in the lens. Kendal (MAddOG co-founder) got to work helping make flyers and displays, and got the goggle lens ready. We started a MAddOG Media blitz on the blog , website and facebook. I started talking to everyone, I mean everyone, People at the gym, the bank, the grocery store , ect, ect....
      Rule 5. People began to respond, at first it was disappointingly slow and I was worried (not about looking like a fool though). I found myself disappointed because we weren't going to be able to get helmets for the cause. I was getting small amounts here and there, I had to adjust my thinking to "EVERY dollar counts". I kept talking and sharing the PWD mission with people, the HEARTS started to open and the donations began to arrive, from everywhere , back east, Canada, California, Washington and locally.
      We raised $700.00 in 2 months !!! That is 14 new helmets (thanks to the incredible deal from WPS/FLY Racing).
      The day came to place the order, I was overwhelmed to the point of tears from the generosity, and caring people had shown, Brandon asked if I was OK, "Oh yeah buddy I am awsome" was my cracked voice response, "I just can't believe we are doing this, this is so amazing and I am so blessed to feel involved..... Let's DO THIS !". The order for 14 helmets was placed and as we were talking and wrapping things up, Brandon informed me that he was donating the loaner helmet to the program... UH-O hear comes the tears again... "are you serious?", "Yeah Man , that was my plan all along".
      The weekend we were wrapping up the fundraiser was the weekend that Mountianeer Trail Riders was having their fundraiser for PWD OFF ROAD and The Mud Buddies Foundation. MTR put up a donation bucket and flyers that I had mailed them. They were able to raise some more money for the program, but most amazingly to me was a gentleman at their event brought in a NEW FLY Racing kinetic helmet and donated it to the program ! When Darin called and told me the tears started again.
      I have been so fortunate to be involved in this program, and to meet so many fantastic and caring people, and make so very many new friends during the HEARTS for HELMETS Fundraiser. I would like to thank everyone who has donated , helped, supported, and yes talked me "up" when I was down.

Very Sincerely, Lorin "MAddOG" Morrell

Come meet us at the Off Road Spring Bash 2012 Presented by Lucas Oil Inc.

      That is right ! MAddOG Morrell Motorsports will be attending the , Off Road Spring Bash 2012 Presented by Lucas Oil Inc.  
      We will be doing ride reports, facility reports, participating in some rides and bringing the HEARTS for HELMETS, Helmets to present in person.

      Swing by and say hi ! We are so excited to be involved in this event, and looking forward to meeting a lot of new , and old, friends.

       See YOU there. April 12-15 at Ride Royal Blue.

       The event starts on Thursday April 12th through Sunday April 15th, but you can arrive at anytime, you do not have to stay the entire event, of course we want you to, but it is not a requirement. The event coincides with Autism Awareness month, and we ask that you try to wear something light blue during the event to honor this. Along with us is our great friend The Mud Buddies Foundation. They will be on site providing free rides to those with Disabilities!

   

PRESS RELEASE ... Bend, OR. 4/3/12 HEARTS for HELMETS Incredible Success !!!

We are Pleased to announce the AMAZING Success of HEARTS for HELMETS !

When we started this fundraiser our initial goal was to raise enough money, to be able to supply 10 Helmets to the People With Disabilities (PWD) OFF ROAD Organization.

Our Initial goal was literally SMASHED ! Due to the generosity of  many awsome people, we were able to supply 14 !! And then Brandon at The MotoShop was kind enough to donate the helmet we were using for our donation display, and also A kind gentleman ( Bob Smith) offered up a Brand NEW FLY Kinetic Helmet to the cause at The Moonshine Run Sponsored by the Mountaineer Trail Riders !

                                                    YES THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO .... 16 NEW Helmets !!!! That we will be presenting IN PERSON at the PWD / Ride Royal Blue SPRING BASH Presented by Lucas Oil !!!!

We have had the opportunity to meet and deal with so many great people throughout this program, and would like to extend a very , very special thanks to ;

                                                                                          Brandon W. at The MotoShop (Bend,or)  Without you,This program would have never got off the ground

                                                                                              WPS/ FLY Racing , Thank you for caring and helping out so much.

                                                                                     Corporate level sponsors, El Rodeo          Restaurant (Bend,OR) and BIGDog(Donn) from OVMA(Thank a Veteran).

                                                                                              And every other person who donated / shared/ supported this program

                                                                                         Special Thanks to Michael our webmaster for making my ideas work.

And of course Last, but, perhaps the most important

                                                                                         MY Wife and family for supporting me and sharing my excitement.

Winter Storms = Weird Sand, Winchester Bay Sand Dunes.

Picture by MAddOG Morrell Motorsports

As we rolled out of the campsite, and headed for the dune access across the road,

I thought how great it was to get out in the dunes, no matter the weather, it was going to be a great ride. I checked to make sure my seatbelt was latched, and familiarized myself with where the grab handles ( HOLY SH#% handles) were, in Jason's Can-Am Commander X, grateful he offered me to ride shotgun .  

                    We crossed the road and entered the dune access road, whooped up as normal, I thought as we bounced through them at the posted speed limit. As the road opens into the first expanse of dunes I can tell the last few winter storms (some with 100mph winds) and wet weather has made some changes. The sand is wet fluff, and choppy but not too bad. I figured the whole group would meet at Banshee Hill, and everyone would make at least an attempt and most would go over the top no problem. We all met at Banshee, and someone made a run in an XP900 on paddles, he had to check up just before the trees, due to a couple quads coming down through the trees. When he tried to take back off, he threw some big roost but never moved. He started to back up and the dune started to take control attempting to turn him sideways and over towards the steep side hill. As he worked his way slowly around, the path was clear. My driver pounded the throttle and off we went, accelerating towards the bottom of the hill, I thought good speed, good approach, can't wait to see the view and get some pictures from the top. Just before we got to the trees it sounded like the engine started to bog a little and as we got into the trees, it felt like we ran into a bog of wet cotton balls. Momentum all but stopped and clumps of wet sand were sacrificed skyward by the tires.

           After several of the side by sides tried and failed, a couple quads made the run and you could hear their engines bog in the same spot. We made a second run, getting 20 feet further with the same final result after backing down,  we headed south east out into the dunes. The sand was wet and rough, especially where the main traffic was. As we cruised along the top edge of a dune I watched the sand on the south side. There were razorbacks, humps n' lumps and hard sad jut outs, nothing you would want to roll over at speed without checking it out first. 

The "Backside" of a dune (photo by Chad J DeMeyer)

           As we reached the drop into a valley that leads to "buttercup" and the backside of Banshee Hill, we stopped and a bunch of the group ran the downhill / uphill loop ending their runs with nice jumps. The rain started an aggressive assault on us fun lovers, but we were distracted and able to practically ignore it.

Picture by Jason Hamlow

           Jason dropped in and we headed up and to the right towards "buttercup", running through a tight trail that leads to the sand groove that runs up and into "buttercup". About halfway up we ran into thick, wet, coastal fog. "Good time to turn around" he says, "for sure, I thought my goggles were just fogging up bad," I answered.

           We headed out through the trails and made the climb out of the valley and headed further south to a big 3/4 bowl, and made a couple really good high marks. The sand didn't seem too loose or that "fluffy" here. We had good traction and no breakaways even on a high speed steep sidehill. We headed to another big climb and made it right to the peak before the sand won. Someone came up on our left and capped the dune. Judging by the amount of wet sand we both ate, they were running paddles. We backed down, ( I made a slight adjustment to his MUZZYS DigiTuner) and made another run at it, topping it with ease, as we headed down the backside there were drops with kicker humps and double kickers with sharp edges. I have never seen the dunes this ugly, rough on the backsides of the dunes, and as we ran towards some of the transition flats I notice the incredible amount of standing water and how rutted and rough the flats were. As a veteran of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation areas I have seen a lot of weird conditions, but nothing quite like these conditions. 

           The rain was starting to cause some visibility issues and we started to head back. Spotting one of our comrades pulling out a tow strap we headed over to check and see what happened. Turns out my volunteer video camera man had knocked the air filter loose ( it sticks up between the seats) and got his jacket sucked into the intake, flooding the engine so bad it wouldn't start. He had a tow vehicle lined up so we headed back.

           The trip back through through the flats and small dunes was a great high speed run, with Jason masterfully dodging a couple water hazards that appeared on short notice, and ran through a section of trails, on the west side of the dunes area, that are always fast and fun with high banked corners left and right, the only downfall being how badly most of the straight stretches were whooped out. We exited the trails, made one more speed burn ending almost at the entrance road, and as we slowed down, we reveled in how strange some of the sand conditions were and how whooped out the entrance road was.

            Returning to camp and jumping out, we got a hearty laugh at how covered we were in wet sand due to the roost job from a yet unknown source, and how wet we actually were, head to butt, from the rain.

Picture by Tommy Clark

Picture by Chad J DeMeyer

           Although the sand conditions were not perfect, it was great to get out in the dunes, and provided me with a reminder of just how treacherous the conditions in the dunes can be, and how important it is to look BEFORE you leap, especially in the ever changing dunes.

Picture by Chad J DeMeyer

Picture by MAddOG Morrell Motorsports

Picture by MAddOG Morrell Motorsports

Picture By Tommy Clark

Special thanks to : Jason , Save The Rides Dunes, Discovery Point RV resort,  and all the GOONS in the DUNES !

HEARTS for HELMETS ! Getting special needs families trail therapy, DONATE NOW

          WE ASK YOU ALL TO OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND HELP OUT.  DONATE NOW !www.maddogmorrellmotorsports.com 
        MAddOG Morrell Motorsports , PWD OFF ROAD , The Motoshop and FLY Racing have joined forces to supply helmets  for special needs families to use during their introduction to OFF ROADING.
            Those of us that already ride,  know how therapeutic getting out on the trails can be, and how much fun it can be.  Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Off Road ( www.pwdoffroad.org )   is a non-profit organization helping persons with various disabilities to enjoy off roading through the coordination of events that provide the proper accommodations and a caring atmosphere.
          The need for helmets to get these new riders, and families, safely out on the trails so they can enjoy what we already do, is very BIG !
          Please go to www.maddogmorrellmotorsports.com and click the donate button on the HEARTS for HELMETS icon, and donate. You can donate as much or as little as your heart directs you. THANK YOU in advance from all of us.


                                                  Donate Now here

        You will receive a receipt for your donation, And 97+% of all donations will go directly to purchase and supply PWD OFF ROAD with FLY Racing helmets to use in their program.
         


           

          

In the MAddHouse with... Pat Hemperley (part 2 ) A Day in the Dirt recap

     We are PROUD to present part 2 of our premier episode of  " In the MAddHouse with ... "  Enjoy !