If you are traveling along Highway 16 on Sunday, October 1st, you might just see something surprising. A caravan of more than 80 riders wearing pink wigs atop their decorated motorcycles will be making their way from Tacoma’s LeMay Car Museum to Bremerton with two stops in Gig Harbor.
“It is such a sight to see … big gruff guys wearing pink wigs riding their decorated bikes. It is hilarious, “ said Wigged Out Ride’s founder Sue Scanlon.
In 2014, Scanlon, a then recent Breast Cancer Survivor, founded Wigged Out Ride. This annual motorcycle ride through South Puget Sound raises money to purchase wigs for women being treated for cancer at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way and St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor.
Since that time, the ride has raised $15,000 to purchase more than 400 wigs for Cancer survivors in the South Puget Sound. The goal for the 2023 ride is $4,000 and through the strong support of the LeMay Car Museum and Uptown Shopping Center in Gig Harbor, Scanlon believes they will surpass their goal.
According to Scanlon, “This year our focus is going to be on the people who are fighting cancer and those who we have lost.” Riders will be encouraged to wear armbands with the words ‘I am riding for …”. Others will be riding with their passenger foot pedals down to honor someone they lost that can no longer ride with them. In one case, a family member will be riding passenger on a bike to represent their loved one who can no longer participate. You can check out some of the stories behind the people riding at this Facebook site link www.facebook.com/wiggedoutride
The Wigged Out Ride will begin at LeMay Car Museum from 9:30 – 10:15, then on to Uptown Shopping Center in Gig Harbor from 11am to noon, following a ride through downtown Gig Harbor the group will stop at St. Anthony’s Hospital for a photo with the Nursing staff from 12:45 – 1:30pm. The ride will then move on to Bremerton for Lunch.
To register to participate or make a donation to the Wigged Out Ride visit https://www.facebook.com/wiggedoutride/