By Luke Massaro | July 7, 2026
Every year, on the last day of elementary school, the music starts before you ever see him.
Alice Cooper’s School’s Out blasts from a boombox strapped to a bicycle as Cain Hickey pedals through the neighborhood, stopping at house after house to pick up kids for the last bike ride to school of the year. By the end of the ride, what started with one bicycle has turned into a parade of smiling children rolling through the streets together.
Around the neighborhood, it’s simply known as The Cain Parade.
If you know Cain, that story probably doesn’t surprise you.
That’s what Cain does.
He brings people together.
Some people ease their way into your life quietly. Cain is not one of those people.
Cain arrives fully. Loud laugh. Big personality. Strong opinions. Bigger heart. He is a hugger, not a handshaker. He is boisterous, generous, and the kind of person who forces his love onto people whether they asked for it or not. Somehow, that is exactly what makes him Cain.
He has a way of pulling people in. Not in a polished way, but in a genuine one. He makes introductions. He invites people over. He checks in. He shows up. He turns acquaintances into friends and friends into family.
Around Happy Valley and throughout Pennsylvania’s agricultural community, that’s the Cain people know.
Professionally, Cain serves as Penn State Extension’s Viticulture Extension Educator. He works alongside vineyard owners, grape growers, wineries, and students, helping them navigate the challenges of growing grapes in Pennsylvania. His work connects research with real-world solutions, helping strengthen an industry that supports communities across the Commonwealth.
But if you ask the people who know Cain best, they’ll tell you his greatest contribution isn’t found in the vineyard.
It’s found in people.
Cain didn’t always plan to work in viticulture. Growing up near Erie, he originally trained as a nurse. Lisa, his high school sweetheart and now his wife, recognized a passion in him that he hadn’t fully discovered himself. She encouraged him to pursue wine grapes and viticulture, a path that eventually led him to Penn State, graduate school, and a career he truly loves.
They’ve been building that life together ever since.
I’ve often thought the work Cain loves says something about the man himself.
Wine grapevines aren’t planted for one season. They’re planted with the future in mind. With care, they can flourish for decades. They develop deep roots. They endure harsh winters, difficult growing seasons, and conditions they can’t control. Often, those difficult seasons produce something remarkable.
That feels a lot like Cain.
Wherever Cain goes, he leaves the place better than he found it.
He fell in love with Happy Valley during his years at Penn State. He loved the trout streams, the forests, the cycling, and the sense of community. When the opportunity came to return to Penn State Extension, it wasn’t simply a career move. It was a chance to raise his family in a place that had already become home.
Over the years, he has planted deep roots here through friendships, service, generosity, and the simple habit of always showing up for people.
One evening I was trying to wrestle a washing machine into my house. It was nearly nine o’clock, and I couldn’t get it through the garage. I called Cain.
Within minutes, he rode his bike over, helped me maneuver the washer through the front door, laughed the entire time, and rode back home.
That’s Cain.
If you need him, he comes.
Then there was the family camping trip at Raystown Lake. Everyone else packed their cars for the drive back to State College.
Cain packed his bike.
He filled his water bottles, clipped into his pedals, and rode home.
Only Cain.
His students describe his classes as a breath of fresh air because of the relationships he builds with them. People genuinely look forward to being in his classroom. Growers appreciate his practical advice, his optimism, and his ability to make difficult challenges seem manageable.
He has a gift for making people feel seen.
Today, Cain and his family are facing one of the hardest seasons of their lives.
Cain has been diagnosed with cancer, and he and Lisa are walking a road no family expects to travel. Treatments, time away from work, and the many unexpected challenges that come with a diagnosis like this create burdens that no family should have to carry alone.
None of us can change the diagnosis.
What we can do is help carry the weight.
Already, neighbors are mowing lawns. Friends are stepping in. Family members are helping. Colleagues, classmates, and members of the agricultural community are finding ways to support Cain and Lisa.
Watching all of this unfold has reminded me of something.
This story isn’t really about cancer.
It’s about a man who has spent years investing in people.
He has introduced strangers who became lifelong friends.
He has mentored students.
He has supported growers.
He has opened his home.
He has shown up for people, often before they even knew they needed someone.
Now it’s our turn to show up for him.
Whether you’ve known Cain for years, crossed paths with him through Penn State, worked in agriculture, shared a bike ride, or simply believe in caring for people during difficult seasons, I hope you’ll consider supporting Cain, Lisa, and their family.
Every gift, no matter the size, helps ease the financial burden so they can focus on what matters most. If you’re not in a position to give, sharing their story and keeping them in your prayers is another meaningful way to help.
Communities aren’t defined only by what they celebrate.
They’re defined by how they care for one another when life gets hard.
This is one of those moments.
Let’s remind Cain and his family that the roots they have planted in this community run deep.
To support Cain Hickey and his family, please visit the GoFundMe campaign linked below.
