Thunder by the Bay raises funds for children, teens and adults with special needs

For Abbie Delane, the Thunder By the Bay Music & Motors Festival was an event she first heard about last-minute on Saturday. 

However, she had been excited to learn of the fundraiser for Suncoast Charities for Children, which funds seven nonprofits serving children, teens, and adults with special needs across Southwest Florida.

With her 3-year-old son Ro Delaney, who has nonverbal autism, in attendance, she said she felt "really welcomed."

“I'm really thankful they do things like this and make us feel so welcome," she said. "It's hard because not everybody understands what it's like to have someone in your family with special needs, so just having everybody out here, and what they do, is amazing. I'm super excited.”

Lucy Nicandri, president of the organization, said this year's event, held Feb. 13-15, was "probably among the biggest years ever'' for ticket sales.

The 28th annual festival, the event featured live music including headliners Night Ranger, 38 Special and Montgomery Gentry, and vendors, car and bike shows, a biker rodeo, and a charity car and motorcycle dice run.

Also featured were free autograph sessions with Paul Teutul Jr., one of the stars of the reality television series "American Chopper," on Saturday and Sunday. 

Teutul said, “It's always great when you're giving back like that, and (Lucy) does such a good job, and this organization does such a good job of making sure that that stays out in front, and I think that's a testament to the people you see here turning out for it year after year. There's not too many shows have been around for 28 years in the car and motorcycle space.”