HADLEY — Food, drinks and motorcycles await all who attend the third annual Jesse’s Ride at the Hadley Young Men’s Club this Saturday. But this day of community fun didn’t begin as such a joyous occasion.

In March of 2023, 19-year-old Jesse Johansmeyer went out to a riverside party in Hatfield. Johansmeyer hoped to enjoy the warming weather and have a good time with friends, but an unexpected tragedy made the night grind to a halt.

Johansmeyer never came home from that party. Instead, his family discovered that he had been the victim of a hit-and-run involving a borrowed pick-up truck. According to the family, nobody at the scene initially called 911. It wasn’t until a friend went looking for him and found him lying on the ground that 911 was called and Johansmeyer was rushed to the hospital, but it was too late.

Jesse’s Ride began as a celebration of Johansmeyer’s life, adventurous spirit and love for motorcycle riding. Now in its third year, the event has become much more — a community celebration, a way to keep Johansmeyer’s legacy alive and an opportunity to raise awareness for the causes that this untimely community loss brought to light.

“Jesse, he always was very very adventurous and had a very big heart,” said Willow Vandoloski, Jesse’s sister. “He would give the shirt off his back to a stranger if he had to.”

The event includes both a 45-minute scenic bike ride and an after-party. This year, funds raised by the event will go toward the Easthampton Dog Park. According to Vandoloski, this is a cause her brother would have fully supported, as he greatly enjoyed taking their family dogs on walks outside.

“We want to make sure that whatever organization we pick is something Jesse would have wanted to contribute to,” Vandoloski said.

Jesse’s Ride also aims to raise awareness about the power of community, the importance of grief support, hit-and-run prevention and the necessity of calling 911 immediately when an emergency arises. Vandoloski said the event offers a chance for meaningful community conversations about all of these topics.

“Simply put, you can save a life by calling 9-1-1,” said Vandoloski, who emphasized the importance of calling emergency services even if someone feels they are just a “bystander” to a crisis.

Jesse’s loved ones also hope to raise awareness for the importance of grief support after a tragedy. Vandoloski said that after her brother’s death, she and her mother had a hard time finding the kind of support they needed to navigate their loss. Now, they provide grief resources and other information on a website in Johansmeyer’s memory, sites.google.com/view/jesses-justice.

“It’s not something that anyone should have to go through alone,” Vandoloski said.

The bike ride will begin and end at the Young Men’s Club in Hadley. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and is $20 for riders and $10 for passengers. The ride will commence at 11 a.m. and the after-party will start at noon.

The party will feature food, drinks, raffles and live music by Hard Cover.

Vandoloski said that the event is family-friendly, and certainly not limited to motorcycle riders. The day is designed to bring people together to “live like Jesse” — with courage and generosity.

“His legacy didn’t die when he died,” Vandoloski said.

Alexa Lewis can be reached at alewis@gazettenet.com.