Our History
On July 19th, 2016, Sierah "Ce" Joughin set out on a bicycle ride in rural northwest Ohio. Tragically, she was abducted less than 500 feet from her home and later found to have been murdered by a previously convicted violent offender.
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In the wake of this devastating loss, Keeping Our Girls Safe (KOGS) was founded in August 2016 by Sierah's mother, Sheila Vaculik, in partnership with the Kolasinski family-longtime loved ones of Sierah, including her boyfriend Josh. Established in honor of Sierah's life and legacy, KOGS is dedicated to advocacy, education, and empowerment, with a mission to prevent violence against women and strengthen community safety.
Our initial fundraising efforts
Sierah Joughin Memorial Motorcyle Ride
Keeping Our Girls Safe's initial fundraiser was a Memorial Motorcycle Ride, first organized by the Kolasinski Family in 2016. The annual event quickly grew to become one of the largest motorcycle rides in Northwest Ohio and served as a primary fundraising effort to support our self-defense courses. The ride continued successfully through 2022, helping to establish a strong foundation for the organization's ongoing and expanding mission.
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2016 - First Memorial Motorcycle Ride
https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2016/09/19/Motorcycle-riders-honor-Sierah-Joughin.html
2017 - 2nd Annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride
2018 - 3rd Annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride
2019 - 4th Annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride
2020 - Ride Cancelled due to COVID restrictions
2021 - 5th Annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride
2022 - 6th Annual Memorial Motorcycle Ride - August 14th, 2022
Even with inclement weather - 273 bikes and 410 riders were in attendance
The Memorial Ride came to an end with the 2022 season.
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THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED OUR INITIAL FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, AFTER SO MANY YEARS, WE ARE STILL SERVING THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORT.