Joerg Teuchert
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A CACOPHONY of motorbike engines was heard in Wimborne, as more than 100 bikers took to the streets in memory of Mia Hankins.
Mia died of a brain tumor at age six two years ago, and her mother Hannah Rideout and father Tom Hankins raised money for Brain Tumor Research in memory of their daughter.
The riders all donated money at the start of the race, which ended in Blandford at the weekend.
Ahead of the event, dad Tom said he felt “anxious” about the ride but was looking forward to “making some noise for Mia”.
Bikers tied purple ribbons to their bikes – Mia’s favorite color
Tom added: “It’s fantastic that there is still so much support 20 months later. Including offshore donations, Mia has raised almost £35,000 since November 2020.
“There is a mix of emotions; there are a lot of different people here but the support from outsiders is amazing and I know Wimborne will be pretty amazing.
“It’s good to know that there are a lot of good people. It gives us some faith that these strangers are coming to support us.
“People come up to say hello and there is a group currently fixing my bike before the start. That’s what Mia was; she helped and supported people. It’s Mia in a nutshell.
Most bikers wore some form of purple, Mia’s favorite color. All riders also tied a purple ribbon to the handlebars of their motorcycles.
Describing Mia, mum Hannah said: ‘She didn’t like loud noises but if you put some music on she always loved it.
Over 100 bikers showed up in Mia’s memory
“Mia’s favorite color was actually blue, but all of a sudden it turned purple. Interestingly, my color is red and Tom’s is blue, and red and blue make purple.
“She wasn’t really a pink girl. She was half tomboy. She dressed and put on makeup, but she definitely took it off afterwards. She would love today and watch all the bikes.
Mia Hankins, 6 years old
Read more: 100 bikers ride through Wimborne for girl who died of brain tumor
Over 100 riders showed up to show their support, many of them only knowing about the race by word of mouth.
A motorcyclist said he wanted to show “support and respect” to Mia and her family.
