Greater Milwaukee Men

Hail Fellow Riders, Well Met! As a native and lifelong Greater Milwaukeean and a rider and HOG member myself, I would like to welcome you to our fine city for the Harley Davidson 110th Anniversary celebration whether it is your first time here or not. Since we are known for an inferiority complex, let me take this opportunity to sing the praises of tour fine city to all you visiting and cue you in on some of the best of the best here from one biker to another. Make sure you take some time out from the festivities organized by Harley and the dealerships to check out the rest of what we have to offer.

Since 1988, Milwaukee's BizTimes '   Future 50 Program , recognizes privately-owned companies in the seven county region that have been in business for at least three years and have shown significant revenue and employment growth. As part of that program they are holding a contest to vote for the Most Social Company' of the Fortune 50. The company chosen gets to pick a non-profit of their choice to receive a package worth $10,000 to help them in their mission including $1,000 cash. It is tough since there are many great businesses and organizations, but based on the companies and their chosen non-profit, GMMG endorses Lowlands Group for Dream Bikes Milwaukee as the man-friendliest pairing of company and organization and we encourage you all to get on and vote for them.

RadioMilwaukee , Milwaukee's not for profit radio station 'with a unique and adventurous selection of music and short-form public affairs programming', is moving. No not out of Milwaukee, not to a different spot on the dial, but literally, physically moving their offices to a new location. As a non-profit they need the public's help just to stay on the air, let alone do capital improvements to their physical presence and with this big of a project, called the Sound Foundation Campaign , they need our help big time. Thankfully they - and we - have been presented with a great opportunity to help them meet that goal. An anonymous donor has agreed to amplify the donations of anyone made through August 31 to an almost unheard of level by matching donations not by the standard 1-for-1 but 2-for-1 or even 3-for-1.

The other day I was leaving a local café when a man at one of the tables dropped a part of his newspaper as I walked past. I noticed and bent to pick it up for him. He gave me a surprised look - maybe because he didn't expect manners from a younger generation, maybe he didn't expect someone to help him because he was a man (versus a woman), or maybe he just didn't expect anyone to even notice and make the tiny effort so he didn't have to get out of his chair. There are many things this could have inspired me to write about such as the gender or age gaps, but it hit me that the last one was an important part of being a Great Man, a gentleman - simply noticing things. After all if we don't see things happening around us - we aren't attentive  - how can we take action, respond or attend to the needs of others.

Rockerbox , the 'premier Wisconsin motorcycle show and street party', is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this year on Saturday August 3rd, 2013 from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. in front of  Fuel Cafe   Fuel Cafe on Center Street between Humboldt Avenue and Booth Street n Milwaukee. It is free for visitors. The event was started by and is sponsored by Fuel Cafe, a Milwaukee institution that has its own milestone anniversary themselves having been open for 20 years now. The one day festival features a mix of Euro, Japanese and American vintage café racers, choppers, sport bikes, racers, super motos, scooters and sidecars. Last year, the five block show boasted 2,000-3,000 motorcycles and 7,000-8,000 people along with 50+ dealers and vendors of all things motorcycling.  The day includes a bike show, ride-in-show competition, local and regional motorcycle vendors, swap meet, trials demonstration, food and beer.

If you don't know exactly who Bill Davidson is, you will recognize his last name. Yes, he is a Davidson of Harley-Davidson fame, the great-grandson of one of the founders of the Milwaukee company that celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. With the the 110th celebration coming up, he released a love-letter to Milwaukee  as part of Huffington Posts's  Love Letters Project , an 'anthology of reflections on American places by the local people that define them.' Bill remained loyal to not only the company, but they city as well - never leaving to sow his oats for a while before coming back to work for his family's company as you can tell by his letter .