Bikers rally to raise money for Beaufort Cancer Center

More than 120 motorcycles roared down S.C. 170 on Saturday morning to raise money for research programs at the Beaufort Memorial Keyserling Cancer Center in Port Royal.

"I know we have survivors here," Don Liggitt of the Christian Motorcyclists Association told the bikers before he kicked off the fifth annual Thunder Rally for Cancer with a prayer for those fighting the disease.

"I don't think there's a person here that doesn't have cancer, one way or another, in their family," he said.

Skip Harrell rode in the rally in honor of his wife, Karen, who died a year ago after battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His son, Ryan, joined him.

Karen Harrell -- a former teacher at Lady's Island Elementary School -- was one of the Keyserling Cancer Center's first patients, Skip Harrell said.

"You can't ask for better treatment," he said. "People here are just wonderful. ... We felt like family."

The Thunder Rally for Cancer was started in 2005 by Cindy Roddenberry, a self-proclaimed motorcycle activist, and Luke and Stephanie Wood, owners of Beaufort Cycles.

Roddenberry was working as a nurse at Beaufort Memorial Hospital when one of her co-workers was diagnosed with breast cancer. The woman had to travel to Savannah for treatment because the services she needed weren't available in Beaufort.

The Keyserling Cancer Center was then under construction -- it opened in 2006 -- and promised to offer medical oncology services and radiation therapy to allow patients to stay in the community for treatment.

"I said, man, we really need this center here," Roddenberry said Saturday. She founded Thunder Rally to help bring better services to Beaufort.

Saturday morning's ride raised nearly $5,000 for the center. Motorcyclists paid at least $15 to participate, and many collected donations from friends and family.

A dinner, silent auction and People's Choice Bike Show that followed the ride will likely raise more money, Luke Wood said.

Connie Duke, director of the cancer center, thanked the bikers for their help Saturday.

"For you guys to be out here today, with the economy the way it is, it shows how committed you are," Duke said. "(The money) will impact people right here in our community."