JJ’s Ride-Break the Chains Motorcycle Rally held in Seaford

The JJ’s Ride-Break the Chains Motorcycle Rally was held on Saturday, Aug. 2 at Seaford Wesleyan Church. With over 40 bikers involved in the hour-long ride held between Seaford, Laurel, and Sharptown, the inaugural rally saw great success and brought together dozens of families and individuals affected by or in support of fighting addiction. JJ’s Ride, or John and Jesus, was created in 2021 following the passing of event organizer Sue Bibb’s son, John. Included during the event were several speakers including Seaford Mayor Matt MacCoy, representatives from Delmarva Teen and Adult Challenge, and Fishers of Men founder Frank Parks.

The event began with the sending off of the riders, who would take the next hour to travel a route planned by Bibb and her family with the Bibb children leading the rally. While the riders were off, those that weren’t riding were treated to music, games, a silent auction, and other activities, which persisted throughout the event.

Riders were each given a stone dedicated to someone lost to addiction with names sent in by family members and loved ones. Additionally, booths were set up by the Delaware State Police (DSP) and Teen Challenge to provide information on their organizations and offer Narcan demonstrations and kits. Members of the DSP motorcycle unit assisted with traffic control and rode along with the riders. As the riders returned, lunch was served and soon after, MacCoy began the speeches for the day.

Frank Parks brought several members of the Fishers of Men organization and provided testimony by him and others, offered prayers for those in attendance, and led the Fishers of Men in song

MacCoy opened by remembering people he’s lost to addiction, stating that, “You never know when addiction is going to pop up, and you never know how addiction is going to impact your life.” MacCoy continued, thanking the riders and organizers of the events, as well as those who attended and offered their support for those battling addiction. “Addiction is a battle that we all have to fight,” said MacCoy. “Every single one of us… we can’t ignore it, people want to pretend like it doesn’t exist or it’s not here. It’s here, it’s been here, for a long time.”

MacCoy also said that it’s his duty as the mayor of Seaford to take care of everybody in the city, regardless of if they have a home or not, or if they’re an addict or not, stating that while it’s not always popular, and he has received criticism in the past, he is proud of the people putting on events for those struggling with addiction and he is a supporter of their efforts.

“It’s the not in my backyard mentality,” MacCoy said. “Oh it’s great what they do, but I don’t want it here. I don’t want to see them in my city. Let me be honest with you; addiction is here. You can pretend it’s not, you can bury your head in the sand, or you can get to work. You can reach out to people who need help and listen to them. Get them connected with people who can help them. Everybody needs help a different way.”

MacCoy finished by thanking those in attendance and stating that his number one reason he believes the city of Seaford is improving is that God is working through the city and mentioned that those who wish to reach out to him or the city of Seaford are able to do so at any time.

Following MacCoy, Brett Cooper of Delmarva Adult and Teen Challenge shared his story of addiction. “My life was challenging from a young age, but I didn’t see it until I was older,” Cooper started. “I had a father who really encouraged me to do the right things; be in sports, be in band, and I did all these things, but I can count on one hand all the time my dad was actually there.”

Cooper continued, stating that during his life he’s been a seven-time convicted felon, and has been a former addict. “I turned to drugs, alcohol, the party life. And I lived that life for a while,” Cooper explained. “And I had an identical twin brother. When we were in our teenage years, we looked to each other for guidance and support… and when you get two 15-year-olds looking to each other for guidance, it’s the blind leading the blind.”

Cooper said that one year, after a day of partying and celebrating the Super Bowl, he and his brother decided to go to the beach at 1 a.m. “We pulled off the highway, and we ran out of gas, so we got out to push,” Cooper said, “We got hit by a drunk lady. My brother was DOA. My identical twin brother… and I was flown to the hospital. I was internally decapitated; I had dislodged my head off my spine. I broke my T7 vertebrae a quarter of an inch, I broke my left hip, and separated it in half, which is usually a DOA… But God had a plan. And I can’t explain it; I just know that He had a plan. And it took a tragedy to get my attention.” Since 2012, Cooper has been a part of Teen Challenge and working to help others struggling with addiction.

A week after the event, Sue Bibb spoke on how she and her family felt the event went and spoke about plans already underway for the second annual rally next year. “I think it went great, it went much better than expected,” Bibb said. “Up (in Pennsylvania) my cousin takes care of the rally, and this is the first one we did… and it’s the biggest one that we’ve been to. It made us feel like there really is a need for it in the community, and it’s nice because it was John’s birthday and we felt like he was remembered.”

Bibb shared that she’s excited and encouraged for next year and has received numerous compliments and requests for another event in the future. She also mentioned that while she stepped outside of her comfort zone when it came to getting the word out for the event, she feels more confident and prepared for the future.

“Everything went according to the schedule, which was a surprise in itself,” Bibb said. “Everybody asked me if I was nervous that day, and I wasn’t nervous then, because I’ve done all the work leading up to it and (the event) took on a life of its own and I just got to watch it.”

Lastly, Bibb shared some goals for the future, which included the forming of their own 501c organization to put together funds to help with fighting addiction and offering scholarships in the future. From donations and the silent auction, the day of the event, Bibb shared that they raised over $5,000, which will be donated to the various organizations that assist in battling addiction and providing aid to those struggling.

If you would like more information on how to volunteer, donate, or to keep up with updates on the next rally, you can reach out to Sue Bibb on Facebook, or contact her at 443-523-7902.