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Bikers rally around tornado-devastated airman

Bikers at the Shreveport, La.-area Red River Rumble 2008 rally and concert this week will help the family of a Barksdale Air Force Base airman whose family lost almost everything to a tornado in Arkansas in February.

For each person purchasing a ticket to the motorcycle rally, $5 will go to help the family of Senior Airman Joshua Renihan, whose parents’ and siblings’ home in Ash Flat, Sharp County, Ark., was demolished in a Feb. 5 twister.

“The destruction [was] absolutely breathtaking,” said Renihan, who is with the base’s 2nd Communications Squadron.

“His family was extremely underinsured and had only $5,000 worth of insurance on items within their home,” said Staff Sgt. William Dace Stidham, who works with Renihan. “They had only $25,000 insurance on the property. FEMA has assessed the area and is to pay local contractors to come in with heavy equipment to bulldoze the remnants of the family dwelling.

“The [insurance] money paid off the family land that the devastated home once stood upon, but now the family has no money to rebuild. The family is currently staying in a small home on local church property with plenty of loaner clothing from the local community, church and American Red Cross. They have canned goods and toiletries courtesy of the American Red Cross, but lack much-needed funds.”

Four of Josh Renihan’s siblings still live with their parents and “one of those siblings has a child of his own part-time as well,” Stidham said. “Joshua’s father lost all of his tools and sustained vehicle damages in the storm as well, and as a carpenter/flooring installation man, he lost his livelihood.”

The family’s loss was part of what now is called the 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak, which over Feb. 5-6 saw 82 tornadoes confirmed in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Alabama and Tennessee. At least 58 people were killed, and hundreds of others were injured. It was the deadliest outbreak of twisters since May 31, 1985, when 88 people were killed in a tornado outbreak that spanned parts of the U.S. and Canada.

Stidham’s group, the Barksdale Freedom Riders motorcycle club, headed by James Lilly and made up of airmen and other personnel from the base, is trying to help the Renihan family and has approached the TV show “Extreme Home Makeover,” which assists families that have suffered the devastating loss of a dwelling.

In addition to the money from the rally, the Barksdale Freedom Riders has set up an account at BancorpSouth, where people can donate to the Renihan Family Relief account that has been established. Donations can be made at the branch on Fern Avenue off of Bert Kouns Industrial Loop in Shreveport.

“By word of mouth, local fundraisers, donations solicited to date and sharing our knowledge with friends from fellow motorcycling clubs,” the group hopes to help the family, Stidham said.

Other clubs and groups helping include American Bikers Active Towards Education, Bikers Against Child Abuse and the Gray Ghosts Motorcycle Club.

But they all hope a high-profile event such as this week’s rally will bring the family’s plight to a larger community. The $5 per-person fee the family will receive will help also.