Bikers on a mission to erase fear, empower children who have been abused

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — An organization focused on helping abused children is hoping to start a chapter in Hampton Roads.

You’ve likely seen a biker gang before, but you probably haven’t met one like B.A.C.A., which stands for “Bikers Against Child Abuse.”

“We give them a promise that we are going to take care of them,” said Krewzer, who is the Virginia President of B.A.C.A. Everyone in the group goes by their patch name, like Krewzer.

JimDawg, another member, said B.A.C.A. “exists to empower abused children.”

B.A.C.A. has been in Virginia for 10 years, but it started back in 1995 in Utah. A therapist and social worker there saw a need to help kids rebuild confidence after abuse.

“B.A.C.A.’s whole mission is to empower abused children to not feel afraid of the world in which they live,” Krewzer said.

Children get referred to B.A.C.A. by either a family member or an agency. Then,the bikers bring the child into the B.A.C.A. family.

“We present them with a vest,” said JimDawg. “They pick their road names, they pick their back patch.”

The kids become part of the crew.

“They feel a lot of protection from us,” member BabyGirl said. “They feel like they’ve got the cool guys on their side, the ones who really can protect them, if needed. If that’s what’s needed, that’s what we do.”

Each child is assigned two primary contacts to be on-call to help them 24/7.

“We’re able to support our kids, remind them that if they need us, even if it’s in the middle of the night, they just have to pick up the phone,” BabyGirl said. “We’ll talk to them, we’ll be there, if we need to go there and surround their home, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

B.A.C.A. members will even go to court with a victim.

Krewzer said, “I can’t imagine what a kids feels like when he’s got to go to court and he’s got to face that abuser and tell the whole world what that person did to him.”

However, B.A.C.A. is there, supporting the child and helping erase fear during those moments.

“Seeing them be able to testify against the person that hurt them, that’s the biggest thing for us,” JimDawg said.

B.A.C.A. is already helping kids in Hampton Roads, even without a local chapter.

BabyGirl has no doubt that what the group does works.

“Seeing them get to the other side, seeing them work through their counseling through the court process and being able to say ‘I don’t need you anymore,’ then we’ve done our job,” she said.

“Only thing we get paid with is the smiles from the kids,” Krewzer said.

There’s at least one year of training before a person can become a member.

Any of the bikers will say that training is worth it.

“It’s some magic that happens when you put bikers and kids together,” Krewzer said.

It’s a mission that every B.A.C.A. member is passionate about.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to keep them safe,” Krewzer said. “You don’t want to mess with our B.A.C.A. kids.”

For information on how to get involved or refer a child, visit B.A.C.A.’s website.