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Widman fundraiser draws bikers from across Southwest Florida

By Melissa Cabral, WINK News

Story Created: Jul 27, 2008 at 4:13 PM EST

Story Updated: Jul 28, 2008 at 12:40 AM EST

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Fort Myers Police Officer Andrew Widman was on the mind of more than a thousand bikers riding throughout Southwest Florida.

A poker run for Widman's family was held Sunday.

Bikers started their 125 mile route at the Harley Davidson on Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

There's no fee to ride, bikers make donations to the fallen officer's wife and three children.

Biker Shamus O'Toole says, "It's a very sad but very beautiful thing everybody's doing."

They don't have an exact total raised yet.

A check will be presented to the Widman family later this week.

View Oldest Comments First

Tuesday, Jul 29 at 10:21 AM Bill Allen wrote ...

Riding over the bridge to Fort Myers Beach, I looked back and could not see the end of the line of bikers participating. It was a lump in the throat time. Bikers will come together for just causes. I hope this this ride becomes an annual event for fallen officers/heros or whoever the Widman family would like to see money raised for.

Monday, Jul 28 at 8:53 AM Trish wrote ...

What an awesome thing for the Bikers to do! They will be blessed by our Father up above.

Sunday, Jul 27 at 10:34 PM Randy Whitmore wrote ...

It is sad to see this kind of crime happen in Ft Meyers.I bought a condo across the street from Wink's headquarter's. We were excited to buy in Ft Meyers hoping they could revive the downtown. As a Lake county Ill Board member I am very disappointed in the action of the mayor and running business out of the downtown with all the construction downtown. I sure hope they were trying to help these business people with tax breaks and cheap interest loans. My wife just landed there and is sad.