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Desiree's Ride helps support victims of crime

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Little things can make a big difference in times of trauma.

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Brantford’s Susan Gerth said that many people and organizations helped her family in its time of need, including one in particular.

“Victims Services helped out my family so much when my daughter became a victim of crime,” Gerth said Saturday prior to a motorcycle fundraising ride held in honour of her daughter, Desiree Gallagher. “No one ever thinks it can happen to them but it can and when it does it hits really hard.

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“There is so much going on, the things that you don’t think about and Victims’ Services was there to help out with meals, a hotel room, fuel.”

Funds generated by the ride are used to support Nova Vita Domestic Violence Prevention Services and Victims’ Services Brant. The ride Saturday generated $2,500 for each organization.

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A 21-year-old college student, Gallagher’s life changed forever on May 25, 2013, when she went on a weekend trip to party with friends in London.

There, she met Justin Primmer, a convicted killer who served five years for fatally stabbing a Stratford man 10 years earlier. The two ended up inside Primmer’s seventh-floor apartment, where Gallagher plunged from the balcony after being severely beaten by Primmer.

Gallagher survived the fall but was left partially blind, confined to a wheel chair and without short-term memory.

Primmer, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm – his cellphone contained photos of Gallagher’s badly beaten face – and was given a six-month sentence. He later was labelled a dangerous offender after being convicted of a vicious attack on a former girlfriend.

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Gallagher had multiple surgeries and spent months in hospital before moving into a 24-hour care home in Brantford. She died May 14, 2015.

This year’s ride was the sixth annual and it began at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Catherine Avenue in Brantford and went to the Turkey Point Hotel in Norfolk. Riders returned to the hall for a barbecue and musical entertainment. Similar rides are being held in Chatham-Kent, Niagara and in the Kawartha Lakes area.

The ride usually attracts close to 100 riders but the number of participants at this year’s event was down compared to other years, largely because of early morning rain.

Still, the event enjoyed strong support from a number of groups including the Second Chance Charity Riders and individuals like John Kormos, who kick-started the event six years ago, and has been helping out ever since.

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“I worked with Sue for 27 years and I just wanted to do what I could,” Kormos said. “It’s important to support those who are victims of crime.

“So many people are affected by crime and we really need agencies like Nova Vita and Victims Services.”

Brantford-Brant MP Phil McColeman and Ward 4 Coun. Cheryl Antoski attended the event to offer support.

The rides have raised more than $60,000 over the years and Penny McVicar, the executive director of Victims’ Services Brant, spoke about the importance Desiree’s ride.

“The money we receive from events like Desiree’s Ride help us take care of the little things for families – meals, a cup of coffee or access to a cell phone in a time of need,” said McVicar, who attended Saturday’s event. “Families find themselves in these extraordinary circumstances, trying to come to grips with the sudden death of a family member.

“Their lives are turned upside down and because of events like this we’re able to help them out.”

— With files from Susan Gamble

Vball@postmedia.com

twitter.com/EXPVBall

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