Photo courtesy of Michael Lutz. 194 riders participated in last year's Annual ATV Ride for Omega House and was its largest ride yet. The off-road vehicles were parked outside of the Monte Carlo in Hancock in this photograph, and it will be a stop along the trail for this year's event.

HOUGHTON — The Annual ATV Ride for Omega House will take place Saturday to raise money for the hospice and go towards reducing prices for its residents. This will be the eighth time the event revved up support for the nonprofit and this year comes at Omega House’s 20th anniversary of providing end-of-life care to its residents and support to their loved ones.

This year the event is hosted by the Maple Leaf in Lake Linden. Registration will take place there from 9 to 11 a.m. with a $20 fee to participate. Off-road vehicles such as ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes or any other trail legal off road vehicles are allowed for the event.

The ride will begin at the Maple Leaf at 11 a.m. then proceed to other locations along ATV trails for stops at the Loading Zone in Lake Linden, Partanens in Dollar Bay, Monte Carlo in Hancock and Luigi’s in Calumet. Each stop will have participants stretch their legs, socialize and enjoy rereshments for about an hour. The ride will come back to the Maple Leaf by 6 p.m. where a meal and giveaways await.

The rides began in 2015 with a group of friends, some of whom whom had loved ones receiving care at Omega House. Those in the group were all into off-roading and thought a “fun run” would be an exciting way to raise money for the hospice. One of the women from the group, Kitty Beleck, said events like these are also a good way to bond with others over similar interests while supporting Omega House.

“It’s camaraderie with people you don’t get to see very much,” Beleck said.

She commented the event has grown so much that it has needed more support to host, of which she said many have stepped up to do just that. Last year’s event was the largest and most successful, drawing in 194 riders and bringing in $6,000 for Omega House. Over the eight years of the event, about $20,000 has been raised for the hospice. Omega House Executive Director Michael Lutz said it is expected this will be the biggest year far for the event so far.

“What we like about this event is it reaches another demographic of supporters for Omega House,” Lutz said. “They get to do something really fun in a group and do it for a good cause, and I think that’s what brings everybody out.”

Lutz said the event helps assist community members afford the care for their loved ones and is happy to see those participating in the event have a good time with one another.

“Fundraising activities will go towards reducing the price that residents will have to pay to come here,” Lutz said. “It’s a discount off our top rate. It also actually helps certain who meet financial circumstances, give them free care. I have four folks in the house right now that aren’t paying a dime, so we’re proud of that.”

Lutz said the goal of Omega House for its hospice clients is to make the service as affordable as possible for everyone in the community and it has been paid through donations in its 20 years. The entry fee for the event while small per participant goes a long way for providing care to those at the hospice.