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'When you see one, you see all:' ATV club builds community, mentors youth in NC

A group of community leaders in Enfield is using a shared love of ATV riding to mentor young people.

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By
Keenan Willard
, WRAL eastern NC reporter

A group of community leaders in Enfield is using a shared love of ATV riding to mentor young people.

The KnightXrawlers ATV Club is pushing to create a safe place to ride and building up their town at the same time.

“We have really created a tight bond amongst us,” KnightXrawlers leader Natasha Williams said. “When you see one, you see all.”

The club is a nonprofit made up of teachers, business leaders and more who love the sport and are using it to give back.

“Our goal is to focus on the safety of ATV, and give these kids of the community something else to do besides going on the wrong route basically,” Williams said.

Founded in 2019 by Matthew "Grass" Whitaker, these riders saw a need in Enfield for positive and constructive outlets for kids.

They started holding meetups on private farmland so riders wouldn’t have to take their bikes on the street, which is illegal in North Carolina.

“It gives them some adults that they can look up to and say hey, we are grown people who also enjoy doing the same thing you do, but we just want to make sure you’re doing it the right way,” Williams said.

It quickly became about more than just riding.

The KnightXrawlers started holding bookbag giveaways for students, and concerts to raise money for community outreach.

Part of their motivation also stems from a loss: founder “Grass” Whitaker died of an illness in May 2020. Group members now wear his name on their tee-shirt sleeves in remembrance.

Social workers told WRAL News the group’s efforts have already been making a difference.

“They actually are assisting our children to advance, not just in their lives but to show them there is good things that are out here,” Greater Saint Chapel associate minister Barbara Peterson said.

The group has recently set their sights on a new goal.

It’s legal to ride on privately owned fields, but riders told WRAL News these areas don’t compare to the difficulty and length of real ATV trails.

They’re working to create the KnightXrawlers ATV park, hoping to build a place that can be a love letter to their sport – and a point of pride for the town of Enfield.

“We may be in the middle of nowhere in Enfield, North Carolina but there are also some outlets,” Williams said. “And let’s try to get these things out, but again focusing on safety.”

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