Submitted photo Pictured are the participants during the 2019 Ride to Find ‘Em in Celoron. The event returns Saturday following a two-year hiatus.

CELORON, N.Y. — After a two-year hiatus, the motorcycle run event “Ride to Find ‘Em” returns Saturday in Chautauqua County.

Organized by the Axemen New York Chapter 4, this year’s event kicks off at 10:30 a.m. at Lucille Ball Memorial Park in Celoron, N.Y., and features a scenic ride around Chautauqua County with multiple scheduled stops before ending at the Celoron RibFest.

Since 2013, the family of a missing Warren man, Damien Sharp, has partnered with the Axemen, a professional motorcycle club of local firefighters whose purpose is to promote brotherhood and give back to the communities in which they live and work, to raise dollars and awareness for missing persons cases and the organizations that search for them.

“It’s hard to imagine all that goes into a search and rescue, discovery, and recovery efforts until you’ve unfortunately been a part of them,” noted Damien’s family.

Ironically, they were close friends with members of Lori Ceci Bova’s family. Damien’s mother recalled that when Bova was first declared missing in 1997, no one could not wrap their heads around what was happening.

In a cruel twist of fate five years later, they found themselves in the same situation.

In May 2002, Damien was last seen in Warren, Pa. Without any answers to the many questions surrounding his disappearance, his family, especially his grandmother, Shirley Allred, dedicated their lives to finding Damien and helping other families going through the same tragic fate.

Although Shirley passed away in 2020, the family wanted to keep her name synonymous with her efforts to support missing persons cases. Proceeds from this year’s motorcycle run will benefit the Shirley Allred-Damien Sharp Endowment for the Missing Fund, administered by the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

The fund supports Community United Effort, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that serves as a bridge between the authorities and a missing person’s family members. The organization also quickly mobilizes professionally trained search and rescue volunteers throughout the United States. Grants from the Community Foundation will be designated to missing persons cases with connections to Chautauqua County.

“Shirley spent the rest of her life looking for answers after Damien’s disappearance,” Damien’s family said. “Over the years, she never stopped searching for him and never gave up hope that one day he would be brought home.”

The Chautauqua Region Community Foundation administers over 700 endowment funds that support emerging community needs, charitable organizations and local students pursuing higher education. At the end of 2021, the Foundation’s asset level was $142.1 million.

To support The Shirley Allred-Damian Sharp Endowment for the Missing, tax deductible donations can be made via credit card by visiting crcfonline.org or by mailing a check to the Foundation’s office at 418 Spring Street in Jamestown.