Pastors leading biker gang

KEYSER - People may not often think "biker" when they learn that someone is the pastor of a church, but that may soon change when members and supporters of the Keyser Area Ministerial Association hit the road Sunday for the first ever KAMA Run.

The motorcycle excursion, which will begin and end at the Keyser Presbyterian Church on South Mineral Street, is being held to raise funds for KAMA's outreach program.

According to Pastor Gwen Wolford of Antioch United Methodist Church, who currently serves as KAMA president, the idea for the run came about when the local pastors were brainstorming for fund-raising ideas.

"I have a lot of people in my congregation who ride," she said, "so we thought, 'why not?'"

"We were looking for something different," said Pastor Kenneth Caplinger of Burlington United Methodist Church.

Caplinger, or "Pastor Cappy" to those who know him best, added that the biker/pastor combination isn't all that unusual.

"Pastors are just like everybody else; we have different hobbies," he said, adding that he has been riding for about a year.

"I enjoy it," he said. "I ride a Gold Wing."

Sunday's ride is open to anyone looking for an approximately three-hour trip through some of West Virginia's most beautiful - and rugged - countryside.

"We'll go over to Maysville, and cut across Jordan Run, coming out above Petersburg," Caplinger said. "We'll go over to Seneca Rocks and take a rest break, then head up to Davis, come back down Route 42, across Route 93 and back to Route 50.

"We want to take all those nice twisties in," he said of the mountainous highways.

Registration for the ride gets under way at 1 p.m. at Keyser Presbyterian. The event will conclude around 5 p.m. at the same location, with a meal to be provided there by several area churches.

Cost to participate is $10 per person, and proceeds will help KAMA reach out to those in need.

"Our mission is mostly to help the poor, the needy and the transients in our area," Brother Luke Stone of the Keyser Church of the Assumption said, explaining that KAMA often provides a meal, one night's lodging, or perhaps even money for gas or car repair if someone finds himself stranded in the area.

KAMA also joins in with various other agencies to provide emergency help with food, medical attention, or utility bills when local residents are faced with crises.

"It's a Band-Aid to help them get through a day or a week," he said.

The group is always in need of money to help those less fortunate, however.

"We're very limited in what we can do because our funds are limited," he said.

For further information on KAMA, their outreach program, or the KAMA Run, call Wolford at (304) 289-3676 or Caplinger at (304) 289-3494.

Liz Beavers can be reached at lbeavers@times-news.com.