He has a tiny cruiser, a road name and a whole crew of riders behind him. Now, Legacy is getting his first motorcycle ride for his second birthday.

The Maricopa toddler’s father, Dustin Tappé, died in a motorcycle crash Dec. 2, 2024, when Legacy was just a month old. This Saturday, the riders who have helped carry his family through the loss will gather to give him a milestone his dad should have been there to see: his first ride.

Legacy’s nickname came from his father himself.

“His dad, before he passed away, was sitting in the rocking chair with him, and he looked down on him and said, ‘You’re going to be my little legacy,’” said Legacy’s mother, Melody Tappé.

Since losing her husband, Melody said she has found an unexpected family in the motorcycle community.

“They just came out of nowhere. I never knew any of them, and now they’ve become family,” she said.

The ride is open to the Maricopa community, including people who don’t own motorcycles but want to show their support. Riders will stage at 11 a.m. Saturday at Maricopa Meadows Main Park, 45511 W. Honeycutt Ave., with departure planned for about 11:30 a.m.

The group will make a short ride through the neighborhood before lining Barbara Lane so Legacy can take his first spin surrounded by motorcycles.

Tappé also founded the In an Instant Tappe Foundation to support families coping with the loss of a loved one. The foundation plans to host the Dustin Michael Tappé Annual Memorial & Benefit Ride on Dec. 5, continuing its work to bring the motorcycle community together and help families navigate grief.

“It is a huge family that you don’t know you have, and you never knew you needed,” Melody said of the motorcycle community.