It’s an event the Southern Legends motorcycle club looks forward to all year – their Spartanburg Regional Hospice Ride. “I enjoy watching so many people come out to the event,” said club treasurer Sandy Bass.
Along with the Southern Legends, local motorcycle enthusiasts and other clubs from around the Upstate support the annual ride.
The Southern Legends’ fourteenth Spartanburg Regional Hospice Ride was held on Aug. 24. The ride, which was escorted by police, started at the Spartanburg Shrine Club on Fernwood Glendale Road and took participants through eastern Spartanburg County and portions of Cherokee and Union counties.
“The Southern Legends are a phenomenal group – kind-hearted, compassionate and hardworking – and for the fourteenth year in a row, they went above and beyond to support Spartanburg Regional Hospice by raising money and awareness,” said Gina De La Cruz Turcotte, director of philanthropy and hospice division liaison with Spartanburg Regional Foundation.
Proceeds from the ride supported the Foundation’s Hospice Special Needs Fund. This fund benefits Spartanburg Regional Hospice patients and their families in numerous ways.
It helps patients who qualify financially with medications, as well as basic household supplies. The fund also supports the purchase of pre-prepared meals for patients and their families at Thanksgiving and Easter so they can enjoy a special time together without the stress and cost of planning and cooking a large meal.
Hospice staff members use the fund to help families celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and graduations.
“The support means so much to the patients and families we serve. In all areas of our work, it enables us to go the extra mile, and we are truly grateful to all those who give,” said Kim Ross, director of Spartanburg Regional Hospice and Palliative Care.
The Southern Legends are friends of the hospice program, Ross said. Several members have had loved ones in the hospice program’s care. As a group, the Southern Legends have embraced the mission of hospice.
The club has been the largest donor to the Hospice Special Needs Fund among civic organizations.
“Their total contributions exceed $155,000,” Turcotte said. “What an honor it has been to get to know the club members and work with them on this terrific event!”
For more information, contact Spartanburg Regional Foundation director of philanthropy Gina Turcotte at 864-560-6725. To make a donation to the Foundation’s Hospice Special Needs Fund, visit regionalfoundation.com/donate-now/hospice/.
Prepared by Baker Maultsby / Spartanburg Regional Foundation.