HOUSTON – Tonia Cloninger rode in her first Bikers Against Breast Cancer ride with a picc line in her arm and pain pills in her pocket but she not only completed the then 45-mile trek on the back of husband Chuck’s Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, she happily joined in the after party activities and made a dent in the auction sales as well.
That strength of will and enthusiasm is one of the reasons Tonia has become somewhat of an unofficial ambassador for The Rose, the nonprofit breast health organization for which the BABC has raised more than $250,000 in the last five years. As an insured woman, she has a choice in breast service providers and intentionally chooses The Rose for her care in order to benefit women who cannot afford the cost of a mammogram.
She has told her story and bragged on The Rose on television, in print and as a public speaker. So for the 6th Annual BABC on May 10th, The Rose and BABC planners want to brag on Tonia.
She will be joining five other “Women of The Rose” who will be highlighted in the opening ceremonies at San Jacinto Harley-Davidson in Pasadena on the morning of the event and will have one of six cheer stations along the now 60-mile ride dedicated to her story with family, friends, and volunteers there to cheer on the riders.
Tonia was 40 years old when she heard the words that 1 in 8 women hear on a regular basis. And while “breast cancer” may have stopped her in her tracks, it didn’t slow her down for long. As a fairly new mother of five thanks to the blended family she created with Chuck, a very new grandmother, and a frequent volunteer supporting causes ranging from the rights of children and animals to diabetes and breast cancer, she had hands to hold, stories to tell, and stereotypes to shatter.
“The stereotype of the hardcore, big, bad biker who doesn’t care about the community just isn’t true,” she noted in one of her first interviews with The Rose as she explained that much of her volunteer activities centered around bike rides for causes. “When we ride for nonprofits or individuals, more than a third of the bikes in our club will be there. And I’m one of the most girly girls you will meet. My husband even got me a helmet with a pink ribbon – in bling of course – on the back.”
Tonia started going to The Rose because she heard that Dr. Dixie Melillo, the Co-Founder of the organization, was “the best there is and if I’m going to do something I’m going to do it right,” Tonia noted. “It’s my life, my health. I wanted the best.”
While she is quick to point out that the stereotypes of bikers include misconceptions, she proudly wears what some might consider part of the biker uniform – a pink ribbon tattoo she received four days before her mastectomy.
“It’s a conversation starter. People will ask, ‘Is that a tattoo?’ And I say, ‘Yes, I’m a breast cancer survivor. I’m not ashamed; I’m proud. I can’t change the fact that I got cancer but I can deal with it in a positive way.”
Known for frequent changes of cut and color in her hair and having added a new tattoo with daughters Shelbi and Samantha Oates for her recent 44th birthday representing her growing family, Tonia enjoys a good laugh and the opportunity to “surprise with joy.” For instance at the October BABC Kickoff last year, she and daughter Samantha captured everyone’s heart as 17-year-old Samantha donated her prized pig as an auction item. Samantha said she had no qualms about giving up Leonidas because “The Rose has done so much for my mom. And all that money that comes from him will go to women who need to know if they have breast cancer.”
BABC sponsorship levels are now available and listed online at wwwTheRose.org/Events. Already committed to serving as sponsors alongside Second Chance Saloon and San Jacinto Harley-Davidson are The Eagle 106.9 & 107.5, JG Homes, International Brotherhood of Electric Works Local Union 66, and Casa Ole. Those interested in securing a sponsorship level can email events@TheRose.org or call 281.464.5142.
The 6th Annual Bikers Against Breast Cancer is scheduled for May 10th at San Jacinto Harley-Davidson (3636 E. Sam Houston Parkway South, Pasadena, TX 77505). Online tickets are $35 for rider and passenger, $25 for single rider, and $25 for a Ghost Rider.
For more information on the 6th Annual Bikers Against Breast Cancer including options to fundraise, sponsor the event, and/or provide auction items, go to www.TheRose.org/events or email events@TheRose.org.
PHOTO: Tonia Cloninger (left) helped deliver her daughter Samantha Oates’ prized pig to the Second Chance Saloon for the BABC Kickoff auction in October 2013. The mother and daughter are joined by Dorothy Gibbons, CEO and Co-Founder of The Rose.
