On Saturday, the fifth annual Fight For Seeley Memorial Ride will be held at the Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and kickstands go up at 10 a.m. Front row: Chad Hall, and Ashley Curtis; second row: Jim and Traci Curtis, Erica and Brendan Carter, Nicole Seeley, Sashene Bargar, Marilyn and Wayne Seeley, Chad Bargar; and on the bike: Scott Shaw Submitted photo

Michael Seeley was an avid motorcyclist.

He also was an emergency medical technician, a Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Deputy, and he was a volunteer firefighter as well.

“He was the trifecta, not many (people)know, all three at the same time,” Nicole Seeley of Fight For Seeley said.

On Saturday, the fifth annual Fight For Seeley Memorial Ride will be held at the Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and kickstands go up at 10 a.m.

Fight For Seeley is a non-profit organization established when Michael Seeley was diagnosed with an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia in 2017. Michael Seeley passed away Feb. 9, 2018.

Nicole Seeley said primary reason for the non-profit was because she wanted to give back to the community after so many people help Michael while he was in the hospital.

“I needed and wanted to turn it around and give back after so much was done for us. I just felt that was so important to say, ‘hey, thank you for everything,'” Nicole said.

Fight For Seeley has continued to hold annual events to raise money for the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, where a scholarship fund was established in Michael’s memory. Fight For Seeley also rasies money to give back to the people of the community who are in need, supporting those who need help financially due to illness, loss, and collaborating with other organizations to help them raise money for their causes as well.

“We have established scholarship fund with The Community Foundation, that we give two scholarships a year – two $500 scholarships,” Nicole said.

One scholarship is to a graduating senior at Panama Central School, and the second scholarship goes to a community member. By holding a couple of fundraiser a year, she said, over the past five years Fight For Seeley has raised nearly $50,000. For the Panama scholarship, she said, the criteria is a senior who wants to pursue a career in law enforcement or something related to that field. And if PCS doesn’t have a senior student who is wanting to pursue one of those careers, then the recipient has to possess integrity and honesty. And for the second scholarship anyone in the community can apply. Both Nicole and Michael graduated from PCS.

When the first fundraiser was held Nicole said she and Michael were hesitant because she was a teacher and he was a police officer. They thought it should go to somebody else.

“And we were really hesitant. And then when we finally agreed, we were just overwhelmed by the amount of love and support – emotionally, financially – all of those things,” Nicole said.

On Saturday, food sales begin at noon and the 200 Club Drawing will be held at 1 p.m.

For more information visit facebook.com/fightforseeley/ or email fightforseeley186@yahoo.com.