The group met at the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora at 10 a.m., where they received their instructions for the day. The event consisted of riding a motorcycle throughout Kane County to pre-selected sites. At IMSA they received their first map to find the first training site. At each of the five sites they participated in a test of their emergency preparedness. MRC volunteers manned the sites to conduct the "tests."

"Working with the Medical Reserve Corps in Kane County has been a wonderful experience," said Dean Akey, a local St. Charles business owner and founder of the Rescue Riders program and Biker4Biker, a not-for-profit group that works to coordinate fund-raising efforts for area motorcyclists and their families in need of help.

According to Patrick DeMoon, Kane County MRC Coordinator,"This run was an ideal way to test the MRC Rescue Riders on their knowledge of first aid and emergency preparedness, as well as having a good time doing it." DeMoon, familiar with the many charitable events in which bikers participate, approached Akey with the idea of taking advantage of the enhanced mobility of the motorcycle in a variety of ways during natural or man-made disasters. Several of the Rescue Riders participated in the inaugural first aid/CPR training classes held in October.

On the day of the event, the bikers did not know beforehand where the sites were located. Further, the riders maps indicated where they could not ride because of "roads closed due to disaster," so they needed to figure out their routes throughout the County as if main roads were not passable. Bundled up against the cold, the bikers took off in pairs to begin the exercise.

At the first site at Kaneland High School in Maple Park, MRC volunteer Belinda Guglielmo played the part of a seriously injured victim with fake "wounds" and realistic make-up. The second site in Hampshire was manned by MRC volunteer Nelly Gonzales, who tested the riders on pandemic flu. At the next stop, MRC volunteers Margaret O'Leary and Jim Spang tested riders on their knowledge of psychological first aid. The Fox River Chapter of the American Red Cross supported the event, and manned one of the test sites in St. Charles. Red Cross staffer Kim Watt used one of their mannequins to demonstrate the technique for stopping severe bleeding.

On completion of each test they were given a map to the next site, and they selected a playing card. At the end of the day the biker with the best poker playing hand won an emergency preparedness-related prize. In total, three prizes were awarded. This event was fun for the riders, but more importantly, it demonstrated that they did indeed learn from their initial MRC training sessions.

"These folks really think out of the box," Akey said. "I think we have a perfect public/private relationship"