DELAND, Fla. — Hundreds of motorcycle riders took over the streets of DeLand in Volusia County to honor of 8-year-old Michael Millet.
“It’s a benefit for a family who lost their little boy and was killed. We are here just to mainly support them,” said Anthony Ridings, who joined the run on his motorcycle.
The call to action started small and quickly took on a life of its own. Suddenly, donations for raffles started pouring in from all over the county, along the hundreds upon hundreds of bikers who signed up, and business owners who donated their space for fundraisers.
“This has rocked the entire community in the Central Florida area, and I felt the need that we needed to do something. My husband is amazing, he came up with the idea to do a poker run,” said Mandy Shrader, who kickstarted the whole thing and got emotional just talking about it.
“I just want to thank the community for actually showing up. All of these items were donated by the community. It’s just amazing. I can’t thank this community enough.”
Although the event is a display of solidarity, it also comes following a tragedy. After the loss of their 8-year-old, who was mauled to death by two dogs near his DeLand home in January, Michael’s family has been pushing for stricter rules and penalties for owners of dogs considered dangerous. They even made a trip to Tallahassee to tell their story before lawmakers last week.,
Most people who attended the run on Sunday didn’t even Michael, his family, or even one another - however, they all showed up for their community.
“What is an unimaginable nightmare for all of us, is their daily existence. And they found a way to deal with it, at least for now in taking on this purpose and changing the laws,” said Katy, who decided to attend the event as a volunteer. “I hope that they push for these laws to change and make people accountable,” added Shrader.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood and his office have supported the run since the beginning and also donated items for the fundraiser. The funds will go straight to Michael’s family.
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