Earlier this spring, The Cottage teamed up with the Northwest Georgia Roughnecks Motorcycle Club to give 16 teens the spring break of a lifetime.
Each year, the motorcycle club raises funds for a local organization or charity with a 20-mile ride, and on March 18, it set its sights on The Cottage.
The Cottage is a residential shelter for abused or neglected children in Walker, Dade, Catoosa and Chattooga counties. Since 2014, the nonprofit has housed children ages 12-18, providing them with food, clothing and a variety of outings and activities to give them a sense of normalcy.
A biker from the Roughnecks Motoycycle Club lets one of the teens from The Cottage sit on his motorcycle during the club's annual ride. (Contributed photo)"Sometimes these kids need a break," said The Cottage Program Director Karin Mashburn. "They need something fun to look forward to. Something that they may not have been able to experience under different circumstances."
However, such activities are costly, Mashburn noted.
Thanks to the $2,500 raised by the Roughnecks in March, the nonprofit was able to go above and beyond normal weekend expeditions this spring.
Instead of just hanging out at The Cottage's facilities and having a cookout, the teenagers were able to take a trip to The Jump Park and the Escape Experience in Chattanooga, as well as shop for new clothes and other items.
With 12,000 children in the foster care system in the state of Georgia, the teens' clothing allowance usually falls between $150 and $400 twice a year, Mashburn said, but with the donated funds and sponsorships from local businesses, the kids were able to not just purchase items, but also enjoy the experience.
Target gave each teen a $50 gift card, and the Rak Outfitters in Fort Oglethorpe gave each a $20 gift card, a free T-shirt and a lanyard. Cheyenne's Boutique in Calhoun put out a rack of clothes to be donated and let the kids shop for free.
"We get lots of clothing donated, but a lot of times, it's used," Mashburn said. "We're very thankful to have that, but this gives them the experience to go out there and feel like [they're doing] normal family activities."
For many of the teenagers, however, the most exciting part of the overall experience was the Roughnecks' fundraiser ride, which began at Cabela's in Fort Oglethorpe and ended at Mountain Creek Harley-Davidson in Dalton. The kids chatted with the bikers before the ride and had a cookout with them after the event. Many even got a chance to sit on the motorcycles.
"It just felt family-ish, you could say," said Ariana, 15, one of the teens at The Cottage. "They were nice and caring and supportive of us. Everyone was just getting along and hanging out."
Mashburn said interactions like those mean a lot to the kids.
"They're not getting to go home and spend spring break with their families," she explained. "Some of them have been pulled out of their community and placed in a new area. But these people took time out of their day to come out and hang out with them and didn't just treat them like little kids and brush them aside, but actually spent time with them."
The Roughnecks will continue to work with kids from The Cottage through mentorship activities, such as teaching the boys to change a vehicle's oil. The Cottage will also use the funds leftover from the benefit ride to send the teens to camp this summer.
Mashburn said opportunities like these would not be possible without support from the community. She thanked those who have donated in the past and encouraged others to help the staff make The Cottage not just a shelter, but a home.
"It's good to know that we have support outside of The Cottage and that we don't have to worry about things," Ariana said.