Granny’s Gang bike ride to support local cancer costs

Granny’s Gang is sending riders out from the Klint Safford Memorial RV Park at 8 a.m. Saturday for a 25-mile loop through the hills, dips and curves around Iron River, but the goal reaches far beyond the road. This year, every dollar raised, along with SHAMCO’s matching contribution, will stay with the local unit to help families facing cancer-related travel costs that can quickly pile up.

Organizers said the shift matters because treatment rarely stays close to home. Gas, food and lodging for repeated appointments can become a major burden for Iron County families, especially when cancer care means regular trips away from home. The ride is meant to put money directly into that gap, turning a community tradition into practical help for people who need it now.

The event, now in its seventh annual fundraising ride, is built around more than mileage. Participants are encouraged to ride in memory of someone, in support of a person currently on a cancer journey, or simply in gratitude for their own health. Organizers are promising rest stops, snacks and a finish-line celebration, a sign that the ride is intended to be welcoming to riders with a range of abilities, not only seasoned cyclists.

The local focus marks a change from earlier years, when the ride raised money for American Cancer Society research and programming. That broader mission helped establish the event in Iron County, but this year’s decision keeps the benefit closer to home, where the cost of treatment travel is felt immediately and personally.

The ride also carries the force of Shamion’s own story. A 2025 profile said she turned personal loss into purpose after losing her daughter-in-law to cancer, then created a ride meant to represent the journey patients face. She first brought the idea to life by riding 30 miles from Watersmeet to Iron River, and the effort has grown into a recurring community tradition that still carries her original mix of grief, action and hope.

Shamco, founded in 1997 by Jerry Shamion and his sons Todd, Scott, Eric and Ryan, has long tied its public presence to cancer awareness through a pink logging truck, Relay for Life participation and support for Granny’s Gang. That connection gives Saturday’s ride added weight in Iron County: it is a local fundraiser, a show of solidarity and a direct response to the hidden costs of cancer care.