Ride to remember: former KEVN sports director Jamie Zepp honored with motorcycle ride

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Family, friends and a dozen local motorcycle riders rode through the Black Hills on Saturday afternoon in memory of former KOTA and KEVN sports director Jamie Zepp.

Zepp, a Central High School grad, spent most of his adult life in Rapid City, with a short stint in Sioux City, Iowa, as the sports director at KMEG. Besides those few years, Zepp served the Black Hills as sports director at both KOTA and KEVN News.

After a two decades long career in local television, Zepp packed up his belongings in western South Dakota, and embarked on a 2,000 plus mile journey on a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

“He says you know what, I want to hike this entire Appalachian Trail,” Zepp’s father Jerry said.

“I think that was just Jamie’s way of living life,” Jamie’s older brother Rick said. “He wanted to do something, he’d go out and do it.”

Exactly two years to the day after Zepp began his hike, he suddenly passed away from a heart attack in March 2020.

“[He] was always well-known and liked and he thought it was important to have some kind of legacy,” Jerry said.

Jamie’s legacy lives on. Zepp has a memorial ride through the Black Hills, and a student scholarship in his name at Rapid City Central High School.

“It makes my heart proud as a dad,” Jerry said.

Saturday’s ride raised money to fund the scholarship. The Zepp family says they brought in nearly $2,500 last year and are looking to add to it this year.

Jamie’s older brother, Rick, made the trip east from Spokane, Washington, for the ride this weekend saying he just couldn’t miss this opportunity.

“My dad gave me his bike and I decided that I wanted to come up here for it,” Rick explained. “And my dad said, ‘Yeah, it’s an awful long drive,’ and I was like, ‘No, I have to do this for me, I have to do this for my brother.’”

Two of Jamie’s high school friends brought up the idea of a memorial ride to Jamie’s father Jerry last year, and with the help of Mike Broesder, a local with a background in hosting charity rides, it all came together.

“If you have a heart and can participate in these things then it’s great and we can remember Jamie for all the great things that he did in the community,” Broesder said.

Since Jamie’s passing in March 2020, there’s not a day that goes by that his father Jerry doesn’t think about this son.

“I’ll go back and reread his book many many times and it brings tears to my eyes.”

Jamie passed away before he could publish his book about his Appalachian Trail experiences. However, with the help of KOTA News anchor and longtime friend, Alicia Garcia, his book “Modern Odyssey: My Appalachian Trail Experience” was published.

To learn more about Jamie Zepp, his legacy and memorial scholarship, click here.

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