Road hogs for a cause

Jeff Benson

For actor Peter Fonda and nearly 200 other Harley-Davidson motorcycle

owners, Sunday’s “Easy Ride for Autism” was pure hog heaven.

Members of the Los Angeles No. 1 Hogs club rode for two hours

Sunday, from Bartels’ Harley-Davidson in Marina del Rey to Newport

Dunes Resort in Newport Beach, to raise money and awareness for the

Autism Society of America.

Fonda, star of the 1969 film “Easy Rider,” smiled and waved as he

led the swarm into the resort’s parking lot. He then dusted off his

skull-and-crossbones black leather vest and leather pants, dismounted

from his silver and chrome bike and admired the paint jobs on the

other polished beasts.

Fonda said he supports the Autism Society of America because it

involves helping children born with a disorder for which there is no

known cure. His main charities raise awareness for abandoned and

abused children, he said, but he promotes awareness for all

children’s issues.

“Autism has been in science magazines and talked about, but it’s

never really been a huge issue,” Fonda said. “Nobody really pays

attention to some things. I’m a blessed person because my family has

been very healthy. But I can help. That’s probably the reason I came

down here today.”

The ride is the second in a series of benefit rides in the

society’s association with Harley-Davidson dealers and the first in

what’s expected to become an annual event, said Carol Folsom,

director of development for the Autism Society of America.

Folsom said the organization approached Fonda because its mission

reflects the themes of “Easy Rider” -- of finding freedom and keeping

hope alive.

“We want all children to be able to grow up and be productive,

young adults,” Folsom said. “Peter Fonda cares very deeply about

children. He’s a great humanitarian and he knows this disorder should

be called an epidemic. And it meshes because the riders themselves

are so charitable.”

Ginny Thiele, a special day class teacher at Laguna Hills High

School who teaches several kids with autism, said she doesn’t

normally ride motorcycles, but she wanted to support the cause by

riding with her boyfriend on his bike.

“I’m a teacher, not a biker,” she said. “I teach students who have

Aspergers [a disorder similar to autism]. My kids are very smart, but

they’re social misfits. They’re emotionally disturbed, but I do have

one in the 98 percentile.”

Hermosa Beach’s Mike Light said it took roughly two hours to

travel the 55 miles from Marina del Rey to Newport Beach.

“It was a nice, relaxing, easy ride,” Light said. “There were no

lights, and it was clear the whole way. We never really got up above

40 or 45 mph.”

Several hundred showed up for a 2 p.m. concert featuring “Louie,

Louie” singers The Kingsmen. Also in attendance was George Barris,

designer of the original Batmobile, the Flintstone car and the

“General Lee” from the Dukes of Hazzard.

* JEFF BENSON is the news assistant and may be reached at (949)

574-4298 or by e-mail at jeff.benson@latimes.com.