VA All Female Ride ’24 raises money for survivors of domestic violence

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Over 450 women from across the country hit the road with the VA All Female Ride 2024.

The all-girl squad traveled over 37 miles, from Bayside Harley-Davidson in Portsmouth, through the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel, then back to Portsmouth, led by law enforcement Saturday morning. 

“This is just such a major, momentous occasion here in Virginia for us! We have had women come all the way from California, Washington State, Florida, Texas. We have so many women who actually came and supported us doing this event, Virginia’s first All Female Ride,” said Tracy ‘Sassy T’ Skinner, a committee member of VA All Female Ride 2024. 

A “heart choice” led the committee organizers and ‘ride squad’ to raise money for a local domestic violence agency, Transitions Family Violence Services. The nonprofit agency assists survivors of abuse on the Peninsula in Newport News and Hampton. 

“Two of our committee members are actually survivors of domestic violence. So [this] truly is home for us. We’re raising money for this organization [which] was really important for us to do,” said Rhondee ‘Rho’ Caldwell, with VA All Female Ride 2024 and Beautiful Mindz. “It’s truly amazing to do something like this and give back.”

After 10-months of planning, the All Female Ride has raised $3,000 to help support Transitions Family Violence Services with housing, emergency shelter, counseling and court advocacy.

Susanne Jones, Transitions Family Violence Services Court Advocate said, “Just the fact that you can admit you’re a survivor is a first really big step … there is life after. There is just something at the end of the tunnel. It doesn’t look like a straight path because unfortunately, in abusive relationships, there’s a lot of moving pieces. If you have children together, if you own property, abuse is about power and control. So, when an abuser loses power and control over their intended victim, they’re going to use anything else to continue to exert power and control with that victim, whether it’s taking them to court for the children, whether it’s making divorce proceedings last years. The journey looks different for every survivor!”

Organizers of the VA All Female Ride hope the donations help those along the journey. 

“We don’t think about those who actually need this donation. We get out, we ride our motorcycles … just to be carefree. There are some women that can’t do that every day. It’s important for us, as women to come together for something as worthy as this cause,” said Caldwell.

Domestic violence awareness advocates add safety planning is key when leaving an abusive relationship. 

“This is the beginning of a new journey,” said Jones. “Talk to somebody, let somebody know what’s going on. Understand, abusers will isolate victims. They want to remove you from your friends, family, church, school, work. They want to bring you into a space that only they can control. [Reach out to us at] Transitions Family Violence Services or another organization reach out to safety plan. Because statistics show leaving is the most dangerous time for a victim.”

---