By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Local residents will soon have a few chances to enjoy Shelby County’s spring air while benefiting the family of a Pelham soldier who recently passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer and leukemia.

Pelham resident Mike Dickens and his wife recently worked to organize a motorcycle ride and a golf tournament at Ballantrae Golf Club to benefit the family of U.S. Army 2^nd Lt. Matthew Blount. Blount, a Pelham High School graduate, passed away in March.

All money raised during the events will help Blount’s family pay off his outstanding medical bills, which total about $40,000, Dickens said.

The motorcycle ride will depart from the Pelham Civic Complex at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 and will feature an 85-mile ride from Pelham down Alabama 119 to U.S. 280 and through the southern part of the county, Dickens said.

“It’s a nice ride. It’s a good mix of straightaways and some hilly areas,” Dickens said. “Motorcycle guys look for any reason to ride, and now they have a good reason. The main point is that everybody and anybody is welcome.”

Registration for the ride will be from 7:30-8:30 a.m., and will feature coffee and doughnuts. Registration is $50 per motorcycle.

After the ride, some restaurants around the Civic Complex will offer lunch with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Blount’s family.

The golf tournament will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 24 at Pelham’s Ballantrae Golf Club. Registration will begin at 11 a.m., and fees are $95 per person and $280 per team.

Sponsorship packages for the tournament are also available, and range from $200-$1,500.

Registration forms for the motorcycle ride and the golf tournament are available at Helpmattblount.com.

Event organizers also have set up an account at Regions Bank to raise money for the Blount family. The account number is 167002714.

“This is not about Pelham, this is about giving back to a man who served his country,” Dickens said.