Pat Barron had a strong relationship with his sister Kacie, a young lady who relished life and a person who we all would’ve liked to know.

Unfortunately, Kacie died as a result of domestic violence.

This event was a watershed in Barron’s life. “If I could do one thing differently in my life, it would be to learn at an earlier age to feel emotions other than rage,” says Barron, a humble man who prefers to discuss “Kacie’s Ride For Hope,” which he started in her honor. “So many men are brought up to suppress emotion, and their only recourse when faced with sadness or frustration is to become angry, and then they act it out,” he says.

“Kacie grew up in an environment where she learned to accept that from guys. Not all guys, of course, but eventually accepting abusive environments contributed to her death,” continues Barron. Kacie’s boyfriend shot and killed her on July 26, 2006.

Three months later, the first “Kacie’s Ride For Hope” took place. Barron is a lifelong motorcyclist, and Kacie loved to ride, too. “We had always made a ride called the ‘Hope Valley Run,’ so it seemed like a natural thing to dedicate that ride to her.” The annual ride serves as a fundraiser for women in Kacie’s situation, with proceeds going to The Center for Violence-free Relationships. For more information on Barron’s annual fundraiser, visit kaciesrideforhope.com.

For more about Pat Barron, and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – El Dorado County Foothills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.