Riding into the sunset

Two life stories.

Two hometowns.

Two people unknown to each other on their own hospice journeys.

One wish.

And one community that's making that wish come true.

"It's a God drop," Tiffinay Walker, founder of the nonprofit One More Time Northwest, said Thursday. "In my life, I put stuff out there and it just falls into place."

At 11 a.m. Sunday, more than 100 motorcycle kickstands are going up for two local gentlemen who have never met, but are about to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

One More Time Northwest's mission is to enrich the lives of adults with life-limiting issues or disease by helping them have experiences "one more time." Through this nonprofit, Walker and her colleagues have been planning to grant the wish of a hospice patient, Frank Rhode, 71, a motorcycle guy who just wants to go on one more ride.

He's unable to drive a motorcycle himself and will need support, so Walker sent out a social media request for a sidecar. She received plenty of interest as well as a call from members of Bikers Against Teen Addiction and Abuse, who offered assistance and found a sidecar to accommodate Frank.

Synchronicity and serendipity also came into play.

Walker said she received a message from a friend inquiring about a hospice patient in Rathdrum whose daughter put out the call to give her dad one last motorcycle ride.

In disbelief, Walker realized this wasn't Rhode, but another motorcycle guy, Mike Vig, 58, who has the very same dream.

"They've never met each other," Walker said. "The daughter in Rathdrum didn’t know we were doing it for the gentleman in Coeur d'Alene. What are the chances we were already working on Mike’s last wish?"

The B.A.T.A.A. secretary, who goes by "Snapper," and vice president, who goes by "Unk," worked their biker magic and connected with clubs across the region to find another sidecar and make a magnificent event for Vig and Rhode.

"We did what we do best and shot from the hip and put it together in three days," Snapper said.

She said Harley Davidson has donated an employee's time, a bike and sidecar to take one of the gentlemen on the ride.

"The way the community comes together when things like this happen is awesome," Unk said.

"It's cool as heck," Snapper added. "The camaraderie in the community is amazing."

Through social media and the biker community, at least four motorcycle clubs across the Inland Northwest will be represented as they salute Vig and Rhode on this ride.

"Not what we can do, but what we must," Snapper said. "Love, honor, respect. When we're doing these big rides, it's for two brothers in the last stages of their lives."

"We're going to have these gentlemen right up front like they're in charge of the ride," Unk said.

The cavalcade will begin to gather at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Coeur d'Alene Albertsons parking lot.

The route: south on Government Way to Sherman Avenue, east to 15th Street, north to Harrison Avenue, west on Harrison, north on Government to Lancaster Road, west to U.S. 95 and north to the Highway 53 overpass, follow 53 through Rathdrum to Highway 41, south to Poleline Avenue, west to Spokane Street, south to Seltice Way and back to Coeur d'Alene.

The public is welcome to join in or watch and cheer from a safe distance. A parade permit will be in place from Prairie Avenue to Lancaster, Snapper and Unk confirmed.

"If anyone wants to stop and cheer that would be the spot," Unk said. "Wherever people can be safe and watch."