WEST JORDAN, Utah — Ink Against Cancer held its third annual Ridin' with the Wolf Pack Motorcycle Ride, and every person put on a helmet with a purpose.
“Our son was diagnosed with colon cancer about five years ago," said Ed Riley, who was there with his wife Kathie. "Unfortunately, we lost him on July 14, 2024.”
As participants geared up for the ride, Ed and Kathie had a lot on their minds, watching from afar.
“My son's name was Shawn Riley. Wonderful kid. He, God, he was everything to us," Kathie said.
Their son was just 36 years old when he died.
“It was very difficult. There was no navigating it," Ed said. "There was just simply going with the flow and hoping not to crash."
Just a couple groups over, Terry Bluth was remembering his own journey.
“I was shaving for work, and I had a big lump in my throat," he said. "I ran to the doctor, and I found out I had cancer.”
Doctors were able to catch it early, and Bluth has been in remission for about six weeks.
“There's this moment where you're asking yourself, 'Am I going to die in like a month?'" Bluth said. "We have two options: we could get angry about it, or we can accept it and make every second and every moment that we have priceless.”
These journeys are scary to face alone, and these rides remind people of the army behind them.
“You learn real quickly who is around you that will support you and take care of you, and those people are little angels when they swoop in," Bluth said.
“Even though he's no longer with us, we want to continue to give back and be part of this community because every time we're around it, it just feels good," Ed said.
"It fills our heart with a lot of love," Kathie added.
For more information about this cause, you can visit: https://www.inkagainstcancer.com.
