BonnerSprings.com

The fourth annual Bonner Springs Fire Department Ride for Life event will fire up its engines Saturday to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

Kickstands go up at 10 a.m. at the fire station, 13001 Metropolitan Ave., for the 80-mile nonstop ride touring the surrounding area.

Brandon Reynolds, a captain with the Fire Department and a member of the planning committee for the ride, said the idea came from a group of cycle-owning firefighters who were looking for a way for give back.

"(Cancer) has affected almost everyone at some point in their life," he said about why the American Cancer Society was the charity of choice.

Reynolds, who has had a grandmother and grandfather with cancer, said he's been a supporter of the American Cancer Society for a long time and has even helped organize a Relay for Life team for the fire department.

The cost of the ride is $20 per bike, but Reynolds said the department would be happy to accept more donations either above the original $20 or from people who can't participate themselves in the ride.

Riders can register online before Saturday at motorcyclerideforlife.com or on the day of the ride at 8:30 a.m. The $20 registration fee will include a free T-shirt and meal tickets at Kobi's Club and Deli, 113 Oak St., which will be the ending point for the ride.

The exact route of the ride is still being decided because organizers wanted to give repeat riders a fresh scenic view. Reynolds did say, however, that local police and sheriff departments would provide blocks at intersections so that the ride can truly be nonstop.

The ride has continued to grow each year and last year, Reynolds said they had about 80 participants and raised almost $2,000. This year, he's hoping for even more people and to be able to give about $2,500 to $3,000 to the American Cancer Society.

This "good cause," as Reynolds described it, is reflective of the biker community as a whole, he said.

"I would have to say that the bike community has had somewhat of a bad reputation in the past, but as more people started joining there's become such a big biker community here," he said. "From your everyday lawyers to construction workers, they all want to show they care and want to get involved. It's a pretty tight community."

That can also translate over to the firefighter community as well, Reynolds added. In addition to the Ride for Life and Relay for Life participation, he said the department was looking for more ways get involved and raise money for important causes.

"As firefighters, we're always there to help each other and to help the people of the community in a time of need as much as possible," he said.

For those who cannot make Saturday's ride, Reynolds said donations for the American Cancer Society could be sent to the Bonner Springs Fire Department, Attn.: Chief Hubbel, P.O. Box 38, Bonner Springs, KS 66012. The rain date for the event will be June 14.

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