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Caretakers Riding Club: Riding for the Giles House Janice Holt Giles and her husband, Henry, wrote at their log home in Knifley, KY, their work eventually reaching readers across the nation, with more than three million copies sold. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained today as one of Adair County's important literary and historic landmarks. By Mig Feuser The sound of motorcycles rolling into the quiet grounds of the historic Giles Cabin in Knifley on a recent Saturday morning meant more than another group of riders enjoying a late-summer trip through South Central Kentucky. This time, they were riding for history. Members and friends of the Caretakers Riding Club gathered Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at the Janice Holt and Henry Giles historic home for the club's annual benefit ride for the Giles Foundation. The approximately 90-mile ride took the group toward Campbellsville and back before returning to the cabin, with proceeds from the event going toward the preservation of the historic property. For Giles Cabin caretaker Keysha Tucker, the visit and donation were welcome support as the Giles Society prepares for its annual fall festival in October. For Caretakers Riding Club President Mike Berry, however, Saturday was also another chapter in a story that began 17 years ago. "The Caretakers were formed in 2009," Berry said. "Currently, we have about 30 members, and we'll probably do 20 to 25 events a year." Those events take the riders throughout the region and support causes ranging from school bands and veterans to families facing difficult circumstances. The Caretakers have become familiar visitors in Adair County as well. J.O.Y. Ministries in Columbia lists the riding club among its community partners, and earlier this year the organization sponsored the first Laker Band Benefit Bike Ride in Russell County. The club has also participated in events honoring veterans, including a 2021 ceremony in Cumberland County honoring three brothers who served in the U.S. Army during World War II. "We help all these organizations raise a little money," Berry said. The club was started in Russell County, with Barry Coffey among its founding members. Berry also credits Tojo Bray with playing an important role in getting the organization started. Berry took over as president around 2015 and has remained in the position ever since. "It's a rewarding position," he said. "It really is. We enjoy it. We ride motorcycles, and we raise money for people, so what can go wrong with that?" Saturday's destination was especially fitting. The Giles Cabin was constructed between 1945 and 1949 from logs salvaged from several pioneer-era buildings. Janice Holt Giles and her husband, Henry, made the property their home, and many of their books were written there. Their work eventually reached readers across the nation, with more than three million copies sold. The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained today as one of Adair County's important literary and historic landmarks. Motorcycle riders have helped the Giles Society before. In 2021, riders participating in a poker run surprised the organization by donating proceeds from their event toward preservation of the historic home. Saturday continued that tradition. The Caretakers' ride began at the Giles property on Spout Springs Road, with registration starting at 9 a.m. and kickstands going up at 10. Riders returned to the cabin after the approximately 90-mile trip for a meal and fellowship. Attendance at the club's rides can vary considerably, Berry said. "We've had as many as 50 and as few as 10," he said. By September, after a summer filled with benefit rides, participation usually begins to slow. "We've had a ride almost every weekend since probably May," Berry said. "People are getting tired of riding, and they want to spend time with their families." Neither rain nor heat necessarily keeps the Caretakers home. Berry recalled a recent ride that still drew 16 riders despite rainy conditions. And the name "Riding Club" should not be interpreted too strictly. Two-wheel motorcycles remain part of the group, but riders also arrive on trikes and three-wheel Spyders. Those without motorcycles can participate as well, including volunteers following the riders in vehicles. "Anybody is welcome," Berry said. "If they don't ride a motorcycle, that's fine." What matters more than the machine is the reason for going. "We enjoy helping people out," Berry said, "and that's what we're in it for." Although the Caretakers support numerous causes during the year, one project remains at the heart of the organization: making Christmas brighter for children. Throughout the year, the club raises money for its Toys for Tots effort. Families from Adair and Russell counties are among those assisted. The Caretakers receive names, contact the families and determine what the children need, including clothing sizes. Then the members do something more personal than simply writing a check. They go shopping. After buying the gifts, they take them directly to the families' homes. "We'll actually deliver the gifts to the homes for the kids," Berry said. The Christmas effort helps explain why a riding season filled with one benefit after another matters to the members. A Saturday ride may help a historic site, a school organization or another community cause, while also keeping the club active and visible as it works toward its year-end mission. Berry said the Caretakers are already considering ways to expand that work. One possibility is greater cooperation with the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. The organization is also looking for additional opportunities to support veterans, senior citizens and nursing home residents. At Christmas, members have taken cards and small gifts to elderly residents, another tradition Berry hopes the club can build upon. But whatever new projects are added, one priority will remain unchanged. "Our main focus is the kids," Berry said. "That's what it has always been, and it always will be." That mission has carried the Caretakers well beyond Russell County. Their rides have taken them to Adair County, Munfordville, Elizabethtown and communities throughout the region. Sometimes the beneficiary is a family. Sometimes it is a band, a ministry or an organization working with veterans. And sometimes, as it was Saturday morning in Knifley, it is an old log cabin beside a pond where the stories of Janice Holt Giles are still remembered. For the Caretakers, the formula remains remarkably simple. Start the motorcycles. Find somebody who could use a hand. Ride. And help. This story was posted on 2026-10-01 08:51:49
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