By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

PELHAM—More than 300 motorcycles will rev their engines and take to the road on Sept. 6 for the annual Revvin’ 4 Research motorcycle ride.

Started in 2009 by the all female bike group, Dixie Divas, the annual fundraiser ride benefits the Breast Cancer Research Center of Alabama.

“(Breast cancer research) is close to our hearts,” Dixie Divas President Sherri Simmers said, noting breast cancer has touched the lives of many of the Dixie Divas riders. “This is where we need to concentrate.”

The annual event has grown from 80 bikes in its first year to more than 350 bikes with 600 riders this past year, Simmers said

In five years, Revvin’ 4 Research has raised more than $100,000 for breast cancer research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“We donate all of our money to UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Research Center… It all stays right here in Alabama,” Ashley Zarzour with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama said. The money raised by motorcycle ride is used as “seed money for larger grants,” Zarzour explained.

Revvin’ 4 Research has special significance to Zarzour, daughter of Dixie Divas Vice President Kay Meacham, as her grandmother is a victim of breast cancer.

“It’s a really cool thing to see, all the bikes are pinked out,” Zarzour said. “It’s just a cool thing to be part of.”

Registration starts at 9 a.m. with a free breakfast provided by Jack’s and Krispy Kreme at the Heart of Dixie Harley-Davidson on Cahaba Valley Parkway in Pelham. Riders come in “everything pink,” Simmers said, from pink bikes to pink beards.

It’s kickstands up at 11 a.m. as riders take to the roads for an hour-and-a-half ride through Shelby County.

Riders will return to Heart of Dixie Harley-Davidson for an after party featuring door prizes, live music and lunch provided by Courtyard Oyster Bar.

“This is open to everyone,” Simmers said of the event, encouraging even non-bikers to attend the family friendly after party. “My favorite part is that men and women love to come and support this cause.”

Registration to ride in the sixth annual Revvin’ 4 Research charity ride costs $35 for a bike with a single rider, $50 for a bike with two riders and $15 for only the after party.