Union ‘Hawgs’ Ride for Dogs

BRAINERD, MINNESOTA

Minnesota winters are harsh, so Steve Hesse has his beloved Harley stored in a barn on his property here. But the Council 6 business agent, with the support of 29 AFSCME locals in the area, used the bike to good advantage last summer, helping raise nearly $1,500 for the Guide Dogs of America program.

Hesse and his Harley were among 60 Choppers making the 500-mile round-trip trek from the Twin Cities area to Chisholm, at the foot of the Mesabi Iron Range in the Northern part of the state, in the annual “Hawgs for Dogs” motorcycle run. Riders pay an entrance fee and solicit a minimum of $300 in pledges for their ride.

Hesse is an enthusiastic supporter of the program, so much so that he and his wife, Denise, celebrate their wedding anniversary each year “on the road.”

He also encourages union members in the area to take part. Organized by the International Association of Machinists, the “Hawgs” program is a time for a little intra-union camaraderie, Hesse notes. As it draws participants from a number of unions, the 100 bikers “got to talk a little [union] shop when we got to the campsite in the evenings,” Hesse says.

And they provided major help for a good cause. All totaled, the run this year raised more than $60,000 for the guide dog program.