HISTORY

The founder Maria Andersson has worked to end violence against women and children for many years, this because of her own experiences of abuse. 2013-2014 she arranged an MC ride to highlight and build strong women under the Crownprincess Victorias birthday in Sweden.

Since 2015 she has cooperate with  UN Women Sweden to create gender equality and a world free from violence against women and girls. This has been done through projects, lectures and events with the goal to bring visuality and ecomomic possibilities to the organisations work.

In may 2017, the operation manager Petra Engberg at UN Women Sweden and Maria discussed an motorcycle run for their organisation. For one year Maria created the concept Orange Day MC Charityride, and named May 25th to The day when bikers took a stand.

May 25th 2018, the first Orange Day MC Charityride in the world went off in Sweden and become a success. Bikers from the whole country gathered and ended up in Marias hometown Norrköping, and showed their support for  UN Women Sweden, UN Trust fund and to End violence against women and girls.

One week before the first run, Maria won the award: Social developer of the year 2018, for her work against violence, a safe society and the work with Orange Day MC.

–This had never been a success without all the engagemant, Roddy Benjaminsson who was the first person that took a stand, companies, the city Norrköping, motorcycle clubs, and most of all, the bikers! Without the bikers it had never been a ride. They are the once who should have all the credibility!

I have never worked so hard for anything, but it was worth all effort. May 25th when all the bikers arrived to the selected location for gathering, is one of the happiest days of my life. Those bikers showed me that together we CAN make a difference! – Maria Andersson, founder and projectleader of Orange Day MC