When bicycles become broomsticks and hundreds of riders don witches robes, the quiet streets of Homewood transform into a flurry of laughter, candy, and philanthropy. The Witches Ride, hosted Oct. 26, invited families to celebrate an evening of togetherness while spectating over 500 participants travel on a two-mile circuit around the city.
The ride is a nonprofit event with all proceeds going to the O’Neal Cancer Center. After 13 years of the event bringing joy to families across Homewood, new co-chairs Brett Cole and Ryanne Player recognize the community involvement is a key part of the festival’s longevity.
“People don’t realize that O’Neill Comprehensive Cancer is right downtown,” Cole said. “Most people think of the larger cancer centers all over the nation. So the more that people realize that we have that tool in our backyard, they want to support something that’s local.”
Event founder Janie Mayor modeled the parade off Florida’s South Walton Witches Ride to honor her mother.
“After she passed away from a rare type of cancer, I decided to start it up here,” Mayor said. “Originally it was just to kind of have fun and bring some joy to my kids.”
The ride was not initially planned to be a fundraiser. Mayor told participants they could bring donations for The American Cancer Association if they wanted to, but after seeing how many people were willing to donate to their cause, she worked with the American Cancer Association to make it an official fundraising event.
“Some people brought like checks or a little cash or whatever,” she said. “And then the next year I got with the American Cancer Society and said, ‘Hey, I’m doing this ride. Would y’all like to do it?’ ”
Around the fifth year of the event, organizers switched to supporting the O’Neal Cancer Center because of its proximity to Homewood, and because all donations only went to research at the O’Neal Cancer Center.
“We researched other options and found O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, which luckily was based right here in Birmingham,” Mayor said. “They take every bit and it goes straight to grants and research.”
After 10 years of running the event, Mayor and her co-chair decided to retire from the event.
“After we got into it, because it is so much work, we said, okay, let’s just say we’re going to do it for 10 years,” Mayor said. “And then at 10 years, we put out there that we were wanting to step down.”
Cole and Player took over the event after hearing that event was going to end.
“We both had personal stories with losing family to cancer and basically we just said, ‘Can we help so that we can continue to do the Witches Ride?’ ” Cole said. “It’s such a staple in Homewood.”
The O’Neal Cancer Center also plays a major role in helping to advertise the event. They run the website, and print T-shirts, yard signs and banners in preparation for the event.
“They’re super supportive of this,” Cole said. “We’re one of their largest community events that does fundraising for them. So they are so sweet to us.”
After over a decade of the Homewood Witches Ride, the event has remained a staple in the community.
“The kids just are expecting to see the witches riding down the street throwing candy,” Mayor said. “They get excited about it and talk about it.”
Supporting the Witches Ride is a time-honored way for the community to support those affected with cancer, but do so in a festive, joyful fashion.
“It’s a perfect time of year to just dress up in costume and make it fun,” Cole said. “It’s not just like any other fundraiser. We get to have a little fun with it.”
