Bikers ride for injured Cape Coral motorcycle policeman

Black clothes and tattoos were the order of the day today as dozens of bikers gathered in North Fort Myers to make a fund-raising ride for a critically injured Cape Coral motorcycle policeman.

Officer Damien Garcia was injured on duty June 2 when he collided with an SUV that pulled in front of him at Cultural Park Boulevard and Southeast Van Loon Terrace.

Garcia was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital June 16 and remains in critical condition.

“Damien is a friend of mine, and the motorcycle community is like a brotherhood,” said repossession agent Dave Lawler, 52, who helped organize Saturday’s event. “We just want to do what we can for Damien and make sure his daughter is taken care of.”

The ride began at Victory Lane Cafe on Hancock Bridge Parkway with registration at 9 a.m.

By 8:45 a.m., motorcycles were rumbling into the cafe’s parking lot.

KSU (kick stands up) was a bit after 11 a.m., and the bikers headed for Geo’s Italian Restaurant on Ceitus Terrace in Cape Coral.

At Geo’s, live music was provided by Matter of Faith, and there were raffles, door prizes and vendors.

A Bike Night Block Party Fund-raiser for Garcia was scheduled for tonight at Sun Sports Cycle and Watercraft in Fort Myers.

That event included music by Capt. Jack and The Black Pearls, a Daisy Duke Shorts Contest for and a Boots-n-Briefs Contest for men, as well as a lawn-mower tug-of-war and watermelon-eating contest.

Collisions like Garcia’s can be avoided, said Kurt Berkholtz, 47, an events planner from Cape Coral said.

“It’s important that the community be aware of motorcycles and cops on motorcycles,” he said. “Pay attention on the road and realize that there are motorcycles out there.”

Drivers on cell phones are a threat to bikers, Berkholtz said.

Like Lawler, Miami Police Department motorcycle policeman Manny Cuquejo, 52, was among Garcia’s many friends participating in the motorcycle ride.

“Because of my police background, I can identify with Damien,” he said. “On a personal aspect, I know him. He went to school with my sons and daughters-in-law. I’m just proud to be here helping a fellow officer.”

For Gary Walker, 29, of Cape Coral, Garcia was more than a friend and neighbor: Garcia encouraged him to apply to the police academy.

Walker starts at the academy July 6.

“The first day we moved in, Damien came over and welcomed us to the neighborhood,” Walker said. “We trained together to get me in shape for the academy, and that was after his full day at work.

“He’s down-to-earth and has a big heart. He always thought that if you help others, it will come back to you. Guys like that are hard to come by.”

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