Jack Luikhart, sitting on his motorcycle in a leather vest and bandanna, said he's not an emotional guy. But he always rides for a reason, and on Saturday, the reason made him tear up.
The annual Ride for Hospice was held Saturday as part of the Capitol City Biker Bash to raise money for the Hubbard Hospice House in Charleston.
The ride has raised more than $2,000 a year for the Hubbard Hospice House since it began eight years ago.
In 2008, Timmy David, a member of the Grace Riders, organized the ride to honor the memory of his late wife, Darlene David, who died at 49 of lung cancer at Hubbard. After five years, they had raised $10,000.
The Hubbard Hospice House is part of HospiceCare, an organization that provides care for terminally ill individuals, their families and the community. They serve 15 counties in West Virginia, including Kanawha and surrounding counties.
Many of those participating in the ride have a special connection to the organization.
Luikhart lost his father to cancer and said that HospiceCare was there to help. He says it's "filled with amazing people."
He's the president of the Iron Pigs, a law enforcement and firefighter motorcycle club. The club led the ride on Saturday, the third year they have participated.
"It means something to us because so many of us have had Hospice come in and take care of family or knows someone who has," said Luikhart. "We try to raise as much money as we can because of all they do."
When asked about how it felt to be part of the ride, he became emotional.
"It's just, it's about payback," he said.
Scott Pete, the vice president of the Iron Pigs, says it makes him feel good to give back to HospiceCare.
His mother, Alice Pete worked for the organization as a nurse until she retired. When she became sick, he said, they cared for her until she died.
"A lot of people don't understand what they're for; I didn't either," said Pete. "They give so much to everybody they come into contact with."
Jeff Sikorovsky, marketing director for HospiceCare, says that the community support from partnerships like this is what helps the organization continue its mission.
"This reinforces how important the work we do is," he said.
Sikorovsky said the Ride raises about $2,000, which directly supports the families at the Hubbard Hospice House.
The motorcyclists left Haddad Riverfront Park at 10 a.m. on Saturday. They rode to the Mountain State Harley-Davidson in Delbarton, then returned to the Hubbard Hospice House in Charleston.
Reach Jennifer Gardner at jennifer.gardner@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5102 or follow @jennc_gardner on Twitter.