There’s a lot that patients may need that isn’t covered by insurance — wigs, scarves, transportation costs, the list can go on and on.

That’s where the Angel Ride to Save the Ta-Tas comes in. For the last 16 years, thousands of motorcyclists have ridden around the area, stopping at various bars and restaurants hosting stops and raising money to help local breast cancer patients with those needs.

“The Angel Ride is to help raise funds for uninsured services,” said Angel Ride President Dawn Wesley. “We’ve helped pay insurance co-pays when they can’t get their treatment until they make their co-pay.”

Angel Ride funds have even helped pay utility bills and other “oddball” things for patients who have to take extended time off work.

“We’re here to help them take off a little bit of the financial burden that they carry when they are going through their treatment,” Wesley said.

This year’s Angel Ride is Saturday and kicks off in the morning at Amigo’s, 280 N. First St., in Fort Dodge. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the ride goes out at 11 a.m., but riders can leave whenever they’d like. The cost is $20 per person, and spots on the party bus are also available for $20 per person.

The ride will leave Amigo’s and head to Ole Town Road Pub and Eatery in Gowrie for the first stop. The other stops include the 30 Yard Line in Grand Junction, the Downtown Lounge in Glidden, Fat Guys in Auburn and Rudy’s in Farnhamville. The ride will return to Amigo’s by 5 p.m. for a freewill donation dinner and auctions. Tickets for a 50/50 drawing will be sold at each stop.

“We’ve had years where we’ve had as many as 400 bikes on the ride,” Wesley said. “But we always invite anybody who doesn’t want to go on the ride to come down for the live and silent auctions, and the freewill donation meal that Mark Campbell and his staff always put on for us every year.”

Over the previous 15 years of the Angel Ride, nearly $350,000 has been raised to help local breast cancer patients. In 2021, the ride raised $19,318.36. That may sound like a lot of money, Wesley said, but it’s not enough. The Angel Ride organizers aim every year to top the previous year’s number.

Saturday’s Angel Ride will happen, rain or shine, Wesley said.

“There is no rain date for our event because cancer doesn’t stop either, whether it’s raining outside,” she said.