Wheels of Grace
MDOC employees find camaraderie, aid community through riding group
Beth Mills beamed as she watched a Mount Pleasant parking lot begin to fill with motorcycles.
About 60 of them — most driven by Michigan Department of Corrections employees and retirees — roared in to participate in a ride that would raise money for victims of domestic violence.

In 2007, Mills’ friend and colleague, Mary Babb, was shot and killed in that same parking lot by her estranged husband.
Since then, the annual Mary’s Dream motorcycle ride has been held in her memory to help those touched by domestic violence.
A motorcycle riding group called the Grey Dragons, founded by MDOC employees, has been a primary supporter.
“It’s very heartwarming,” Mills said. “The Grey Dragons have gone from people who work in the prison system to my brothers and sisters. They’re like family.”
The Grey Dragons Association was founded in 1999 by Anthony Comerio, a parole/release technician, and three of his colleagues at Macomb Correctional Facility — John Kimball, Mike Hiroskey and David Zolsai. The mission was to bring department employees together through a common interest while supporting the community and individuals in need.
Since then, the group has grown to include nearly 400 members with chapters across the state.
Those who belonged to the group, or benefitted from its good will, all described it the same way: It’s like a big family.
Kelly Bennett-Rolph joined the group in 2009 as a way to stay engaged with her coworkers through an activity they all loved — riding their motorcycles.
It has drawn her closer to her colleagues at her facility and across Michigan, she said.
“If you’re anywhere in the state and you need something, you always have someone who can assist you,” said Bennett-Rolph, a health information manager at St. Louis Correctional Facility.
Comerio, a long-time motorcycle enthusiast, said he and the group’s founders created it to foster fellowship among department employees and provide an outlet for giving back.

The group chose grey for the name, as it is a color prominently featured on employee uniforms. The dragon represents passion, strength, loyalty and power.
Chapters now include corrections officers, field agents, healthcare staff, and many others. The group also welcomes participation from those outside the department and it has drawn interest from individuals in the public service and criminal justice community.
“There is always a chapter close by to get involved with,” Comerio said. “It just keeps growing over the years.”
The group’s founders wanted to dispel the stereotype that all bikers are burly and violent by maintaining a high level of integrity and putting an emphasis on helping those in need.
The Grey Dragons Association is a nonprofit and each chapter is self-funded.
The Mary’s Dream fundraising motorcycle ride was initially organized to help support Mary’s then-3-year-old son, Sam.
As the event continued and grew larger, family asked that donations go toward helping others who experienced domestic violence.
The event has now raised more than $110,000 for victims of domestic violence. More than $6,000 was raised during this year’s ride, and Anderson and Babb’s son, Sam, have continued to participate each year.
Shel Fox, a member of the Grey Dragons and a founder of the Mary’s Dream fundraising ride, said he is often left speechless by the generosity of the group.
Fox, who retired from Newberry Correctional Facility in 2002, was Mary Babb’s godfather.
“It’s overwhelming,” Fox said. “I’m just in awe of the support. It means so much.”

MDOC Project Manager Lora Hodges said she became involved with the riding group after being invited to participate in one of the Mary’s Dream fundraising rides.
“I couldn’t have met a better group of people,” Hodges said. “It’s not only an incredible cause for all our communities, but it was also an opportunity for corrections to branch out into the community… and make an impact, not only inside prison walls, but outside prison walls.”
While the Grey Dragons are a chief supporter of the Mary’s Dream rides in both Mount Pleasant and Newberry, each chapter chooses to lend aid to other local causes as well.
The Macomb chapter is participating in a suicide prevention awareness ride in Port Huron later this year, and other chapters choose to participate in Adopt-A-Highway or Toys for Tots.
“Sometimes there’s just a family that needs help, so we do a fundraiser to help that family out,” Comerio said. “People just like helping other people out. It brings everybody together for a common cause.”

