Texas-based CMRA is organizing a charity ride February 16 to benefit seriously injured firefighter Captain William “Bill” Dowling of the Houston Fire Department. Capt. Dowling’s company was one of several that responded to a fire in downtown Houston on May 31, 2013. After entering the structure, the ceiling collapsed on Dowling and others. Four firefighters were killed, and Capt. Dowling, a father of three and a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, was pinned beneath debris. Capt. Dowling was rescued from the building but lost both of his legs, suffered serious burns and injuries, and spent six months in the hospital. Hearing about Capt. Dowling’s story, longtime CMRA racer and volunteer firefighter Pete Martins asked CMRA to help organize a charity motorcycle ride to the 2014 CMRA season-opening event February 16 at MSR-Houston to benefit Capt. Dowling. The ride will begin at 9:00 a.m. local time at the Bass Pro Shop (1000 Bass Pro Drive, Houston, TX 77047) and will end at MSR-Houston (1 Performance Drive, Angleton, TX 77515), where a chili cook-off and silent auction will be held. For more information about the ride, go to www.dowlingride.com . For more information about Capt. Dowling or to make a direct donation, go to www.captdowlinghfd.org . For more information about CMRA, go to www.cmraracing.com .