BLOOMINGTON - Perhaps you could call them rebels with a cause.

About 150 to 160 motorcycle riders from the Twin City area headed to Peoria on Saturday to join others bikers from across Central Illinois to raise money for breast cancer research - and almost all of them said cancer had touched their lives.

The 12th annual Ride for the Cure and the 23rd annual Race for the Cure drew more than 20,000 riders, walkers and runners to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Peoria affiliate.

"When it comes to donating to a worthy cause, motorcyclists are always the first to get in line," volunteer Dan Braasch told the assembled bikers at Chuck's Harley-Davidson, 2027 Ireland Grove Road, Bloomington, before they departed.

Each biker paid $25 to join the group that headed to the Shoppes at Grand Prairie in Peoria. From there, the more than 1,900 motorcycles from throughout the area headed to Exposition Gardens in Peoria.

Braasch asked the riders to indicate by a show of hands how many of them had seen their lives affected by a diagnosis of cancer in themselves or loved ones. Almost all raised their hands.

Some cancer survivors decorated their motorcycles to display their pride in surviving.

Bonnie Mylott of Washington rode with Brian Eichhorn of Danvers. A T-shirt draped on Eichhorn's windshield read, "Susan G. Komen, Race for the Cure, Survivor."

Vickie Beoletto of Hudson rode a "purple haze" 2007 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe. She had adorned it with a leather patch in front of the seat that contained a purple ribbon that read simply, "Survivor."

Beoletto has defeated thyroid cancer and non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Braasch gave the riders safety rules, the most important of which was, "Don't pass the escort." Three state police squad cars escorted the motorcycles to Peoria.

"We have a good safety record," Braasch, a motorcycle safety instructor, said before addressing the riders. "It makes it more fun. It's not a ragtag bunch of bikers."

El Paso Mayor Herb Arbuckle, whose wife died of lung cancer, estimated 16 to 20 residents of El Paso participated this year in the ride.

"We bring a pretty good crew every year," he said.

Three El Paso residents, Jill Armstrong, Teresa McFarland and Susan Craig, wore pink do-rags and talked with each other before the ride. McFarland said she is participating in the ride because her mother and aunt had breast cancer.

"And it's really, really cool," she said.

Race for the Cure

Jacki Tracy, breast cancer survivor and project manager at State Farm Insurance Cos., participated in the 5-kilometer walk earlier in the day with her 15-year-old son, Zach Werner, while her husband, Matt, and 5-year-old son, Dylan, cheered them. Matt Tracy organized a 37-member team, Glamour Girls, which raised more than $8,300 for the cause.

"It was great," Jacki Tracy said. "The crowd was neat."

Bloomington resident Stacey Barger, 34, won the survivors' 5-kilometer race, finishing in 22 minutes. She was awarded a diamond necklace, Waterford crystal clock, gift certificate and pink roses. Barger also won the survivors' race last year.