Motorcyclists serve barbecue at Princeton Care Center
By Kristin Boyd
Staff Writer
Some Princeton Care Center residents sat outside in their silver wheelchairs, others pulled back their curtains and peered from the windows while they waited anxiously to hear one sound: Rumble. Rumble. Rumble.
”Do you hear ‘em? I can hear ‘em,” Recreation Director Berni Perrong shouted. “Oh, yeah. We’re ready, baby. Bring it on.”
The nursing facility’s residents craned their necks as the Hunterdon County H.O.G. chapter began circling the parking lot, located off Bunn Drive in Princeton Township. They erupted in applause, their whoops and cheers nearly matching the loud rumblings.
The steady hum of motorcycle engines was a stark change from the beeps and tones that often ring out at the Princeton Care Center, where the bike club spent Sunday afternoon serving barbecue lunches and entertaining dozens of elderly residents.
”Honestly, it brought tears to my eyes to see the joy on their faces as we rode around,” said Frank Torma, director of the Hunterdon County H.O.G. chapter. “Just us being here, talking to them, that’s what they’re looking for.”
Jeff First, administrator of the Princeton Care Center and an active member of the H.O.G. chapter, suggested the bikers visit the skilled nursing facility, which provides short-term, long-term and rehabilitative care. When club members agreed, Mr. First and his staff began planning.
”Jeff said the residents here have been excited for the past six weeks,” said Mr. Torma, a Neshanic resident. “It was something we could do to give back to the community. It’s a pleasure to come here and do something for people who don’t get to see their families often.”
On Sunday morning, Mr. Torma and about 20 bikers — and their babes — met at Williams Harley-Davidson in Lebanon, which sponsors their H.O.G. chapter. They rode one hour to the care center, despite sporadic rain showers.
After showing off their “hogs” and serving a lunch that included hot dogs, corn on the cob, watermelon and ice cream, the bikers swapped stories and joked with the residents. Biker Dick Bartell of South Plainfield showed resident Alice McGee a picture of his two granddaughters. In turn, she bragged about her son’s cool motorcycle.
”This is the kind of stuff that makes you feel like you’re doing something special,” he said. “It’s a good experience. We get a lot of good out of this, too.”
Part of what the club members got, Mr. Torma added, was an opportunity to erase the negative stereotype of bikers, whose good deeds, such as raising money for muscular dystrophy charities and hosting Christmas parties for underprivileged children, are often unrecognized.
”We have lawyers, doctors, executives. It’s not just a rough crowd,” Mr. Torma said after helping resident Kathryn Marley to her table. “Our families are older, and some of them are gone, so there’s emotion here. It’s real. We’re happy to do this.”
For more information about the Hunterdon County H.O.G. chapter, visit www.hunterdonhog.com. For more information about Princeton Care Center, visit www.princetoncarecenter.net.

