The Chester County chapter of the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education (A.B.A.T.E.) organization will hold its annual bike ride and picnic to benefit Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors on Saturday, Aug. 22, beginning and ending at the Parkesburg VFW (Post 4480), 406 W. Fourth Ave., Parkesburg.

Registration will be held from 8 to 8:45 a.m., and the ride will begin at 9 a.m. Participants will be asked to pay a registration donation, which will include lunch after the ride.

This year's lunch will be cold cuts. Instead of premade sandwiches, all of the ingredients will be laid out, and hoagies can be made to each individual's choosing. The Parkesburg Wawa will also provide breakfast before the ride.

The travel plan for this year's ride is around 55 miles, starting in Parkesburg and looping around through Hockessin, Delaware, and Kennett Square. The group makes every effort to keep riders safe during the event, sticking to smaller roads while relying on local municipalities to block major intersections at various different points of the ride.

"The cool thing is that we have assistance from many fire polices," explained chapter chaplain and event chair Jeff Smack. "It's almost that once we leave Parkesburg VFW, you don't have to put your feet down."

The ride has been held for at least 12 years, according to event organizers. Depending on the weather, between 50 and 100 bikers typically participate.

The Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors are not affiliated with the Wounded Warrior Project. The nonprofit organization helps wounded veterans with medical bills, rent, utilities and more. More information about the organization is available at http://www.pawoundedwarriors.org.

"Everyone on their staff is volunteer, so all the money goes to Pennsylvania wounded warriors who may be in need of housing, car payments, utilities, food," Smack said. "When we first started it, there were not many groups that did these fundraisers for (them), and now there are dozens and dozens."

The Chester County chapter of A.B.A.T.E. is a nonprofit organization that has been working to protect motorcyclists' rights in the commonwealth since 1983.

Among its major initiatives are posting "Watch for Motorcycles" signs found around the area. The group also organizes annual rides for drug awareness and the Neighborhood Services Center in Oxford.

The Chester County chapter, which has around 100 members, meets on the first Sunday of the month at noon at the Parkesburg VFW. Guests are welcome to attend. To learn more about the chapter and the upcoming ride, search for "Chester County ABATE" on Facebook.

"Anybody that rides a motorcycle, it's important to become a member of A.B.A.T.E.," Smack said. "Even if you're not active, just paying the dues goes towards the lobbyist that helps with getting legislation passed for motorcyclists."