A Trussville toddler who survived a rare and life-threatening liver disease served as grand marshal of this year's Witches Ride, a costume-themed charity bike event that raises money each year for a different local family in need. Titan Lutfi, who is almost two years old, led the ride through town on Saturday evening after organizers chose him and his family as the 2026 beneficiary.
The Trussville Witches Ride is an annual charity bike ride that picks a new local family or individual to support every year, according to the nonprofit's Trussville Witches Ride website. As reported by WBRC, Titan was diagnosed with biliary atresia before his first birthday, a rare condition that attacks the liver. At just four weeks old, he underwent a Kasai procedure at Children's of Alabama, but the ride's own website notes that, despite every effort, the procedure was unsuccessful.
Titan ultimately received a life-saving liver transplant at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital at only eight months old, per the Trussville Witches Ride. Today, his journey continues through ongoing medical care, medications and frequent follow-up treatment in Nashville, the nonprofit says. Research from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases notes that most children with biliary atresia eventually need a liver transplant, even after a successful Kasai procedure.
A Sixth Year of Costumes and Community Giving
This year marked the sixth year the ride has supported a local family or individual, according to WBRC's report. The event relies on sponsors, participants and volunteers, and beneficiaries are chosen through community nominations submitted earlier in the year followed by an anonymous board vote, the outlet reported.
Check-in for the 2026 ride took place at Cahaba Elementary School starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday, with the group known as Brooms Up launching the ride itself at 5 p.m., per WBRC's account. The event registration page confirms the ride started at 5 p.m. sharp, led by Grand Marshal Titan Lutfi and a police escort. Riders traveled through the historic Cahaba Homestead Village District, a route the registration page describes as the ride's regular course.
Celebration Continues at Ferus Artisan Ales
After the ride wrapped up, the celebration continued at Ferus Artisan Ales with food, drinks, music, photos and competition results, according to the Trussville Witches Ride's own description of its post-ride tradition. True40 served as the 2026 presenting sponsor, while Ben Short served as emcee for the event, WBRC reported. Those roles echo the structure of past rides, which the bike registration page says have raised tens of thousands of dollars for causes ranging from heart-transplant families to children with rare medical conditions.
One of those past beneficiaries was 11-year-old Caleb Wilson, whose family received more than $20,000 raised through the ride, according to the Cahaba Sun. That event drew 281 women participants and 43 sponsors, the paper reported, a sharp jump from the 70 participants who took part in the ride's inaugural year after the board established it as a nonprofit in 2021. Another past beneficiary, 3-year-old Olivia Ulbricht, had spent nearly a year awaiting a heart transplant at Children's of Alabama before the ride raised funds to ease her family's medical expenses and support her recovery, according to an event listing on Ferus Artisan Ales' website, which also noted a past after-party featured a country western theme with the Tommy Crowder Band.
How Trussville Residents Can Help
Every shirt purchased through the ride helps raise funds for the chosen beneficiary, according to the nonprofit's get-involved page, and sponsors help the ride raise thousands of dollars for local families in need. The Trussville Witches Ride offers a Platinum Broomstick sponsorship for $1,250, a Gold Cauldron sponsorship for $800, and a Silver Spell sponsorship for $500, per WBRC's reporting. Organizers are accepting donations for Titan's family online at trussvillewitchesride.com, and local businesses and organizations interested in sponsoring next year's ride can inquire directly with the nonprofit.
