PEQUANNOCK -- A motorcycle club has pledged to help a Pompton Plains group that aids injured Marines.

California-based Rebels With a Cause has pledged half its proceeds from an upcoming cross-country trip to the Family & Friends for Freedom Fund, which helps families of Marines hurt in action with unexpected expenses.

The Sturla family started the fund in January 2005, after a grenade severely injured Staff Sgt James Sturla's arm and hand in Iraq. He is on the mend after a series of surgeries.

To date, the family's efforts have raised $70,000 for 15 Marines and their families, said Paula Sturla, James Sturla's sister-in-law. They've helped families purchase plane tickets and gas money and donated money to make a house wheelchair accessible.

Rebels With a Cause pledged its support after a Sacramento-based biker and former Marine nicknamed "Viper" found out about the Sturlas' work.

"We really feel that the approach they [the Sturlas] take -- providing direct resources -- was as strong a gift as you could give," said Kathleen Moore, a founder of Rebels With a Cause. The group hopes to donate $10,000 to the Pompton Plains group.

Sturla also is arranging a bikers' ride on May 27. The group will set out from Kinnelon and travel to Maryland, where they will meet the California bikers. The two groups will then travel to Washington, D.C., to attend Rolling Thunder, an annual bikers' gathering that honors prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action. Proceeds from the trip also will benefit the Family & Friends for Freedom Fund.

Bikers who want join the Kinnelon group can call Paula Sturla at (973) 831-9899. The cost is $300 per person, and includes two nights of accommodation, breakfasts and a T-shirt.

E-mail: kremenm@northjersey.com