"She was going to be on a bike before she could walk, so this means a lot to me that we had this many people here," said Dahlia's father, Dakota Ussery. Born into a family of bikers, Ussery's only request was to have an escort of bikes that would lead Dahlia to her final resting place. "He asked me to have a few bikes," said grandfather Tim Ussery, "and I just sent out this request and I just sent it out to anyone to help."
Little did they know the request would be shared more than 7,000 times on Facebook, uniting bikers from across the country. "There's no way to describe it... folks from Arkansas, Kansas, all over Oklahoma, all over Texas," said Calera Police Chief Don Hyde.
Brandi Peek is a biker who came all the way from Dallas, can relate to the Usserys' grief. "I lost a child before, so I know how it feels, so I said, 'I want to go out and support this guy and whatever I can do,'" Peek said.
Hundreds of riders escorted Dahlia down U.S. 70, showing that behind the black leather and metal rims are hearts of gold. "People have bad things about bikers, and they come together like you wouldn't believe for each other, and they are good people," Ussery said. "Keep on pushing is knowing that I have a community like this around me."
A selfless act bonded these bikers forever. "It's renewed my thought, my appreciation, my love in people," Hyde said. The family said they're planning a poker run to start a non-profit in Dahlia's honor.
SOURCE: KTEN News
