2nd Annual Ride For Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan
A Ride To Honor and Support Sgt. Eddie Ryan.
On Saturday, July 24th I was privileged to be among the 146 bikes that honored Sgt. Eddie Ryan by participating in the 2nd Annual Ride for Sgt. Eddie Ryan hosted by the Adirondack/Lake George Chapter of the Leathernecks MC.
Sgt. Ryan was severely injured in Iraq. His recovery from his wounds has been nothing short of a miracle but there is still a long way to go and he is progressing well and improving every day. The funds from this run are used to help defray some of the costs associated with his therapies. I would encourage everyone who reads this to go the http://www.HelpEddieRyan.com and read his story as told by his mom. I would then encourage you to dig a little deeper and help this wounded warrior of ours to the greatest extent possible.
The ride originated at the Marine Corp League, Detachment 2 in Hudson Falls. There was ample parking for bikes and coffee and donuts were provided. Registration was quick and easy as there were plenty of stations at which to register. T-shirts, sweats and other items commemorating Sgt. Ryan were also available for sale.
The ride departed and proceeded to Ridge Road (Route 9L) and continued along the east side of Lake George until we intersected with Route 9 where we turned south and then right onto Route 9N. We traveled on Route 9N until we arrived at our first rest stop, the Longhorn Restaurant and Pub in Lake Luzerne. The Longhorn had prepared a buffet for our benefit and everyone grabbed some grub and something cold and took a breather.
From the Longhorn the ride proceeded into Hadley and then turned right onto the Stony Creek Road (Country Route 1) and then onto Route 418 to Warrensburg where we stopped at Ashes Hotel and Bar for some liquid refreshment. From Ashes the ride progressed south on Hudson Street to Route 9 and south on Route 9 thru the Village of Lake George to Route 149 where we proceeded east on 149 to the Boars Nest Bar and Grill. When we arrived at the Boars Nest, Brit and the crew had prepared a chicken BBQ buffet complete with corn on the cob and like everything that they do at the Boars Nest, it was 1st class.
While at the Boars Nest I had the privilege to personally meet Sgt. Eddie Ryan, his mom Angela and his dad Chris. While talking to Angela, I learned that St. Ryan had been featured in an HBO special profiling wounded warriors. In the feature, it was expressed by his mom that Sgt. Ryan’s wish was to participate in the Marine Corp. Marathon. Marine Staff Sgt. Bryan Purcell who lives in Chicago saw the HOB feature and was so moved that he arrived at his own expense and unannounced to meet with Sgt. Ryan. His words to Sgt. Ryan were, “It would be my honor to be your legs in the 35th Marine Corp. Marathon”. Since that day Sgt. Ryan has been training to operate a hand powered cycle of Staff Sgt. Purcell’s design. Sgt. Ryan will operate the cycle using hand power and Staff Sgt. Purcell will navigate and assist. I would wish Sgt. Ryan the best of luck in his endeavor but that would be an insult. His being there has nothing to do with luck but with hard work, determination and preparation. Maybe we could all use a little less luck and a little more of these attributes. I know that I could.
This was an excellent ride. It was well planned, well paced and executed smoothly. The fact that we took the ride through the Village of Lake George on the return trip added a large element of excitement as people stopped dead in their tracks to stare and take pictures. After all, it is not every day that you see 146 bikes travel through the Village.
I would like to thank the Adirondack/Lake George Leathernecks MC for making us feel welcome. I would also like to thank Mike Forand, a member of the Leathernecks and an avid subscriber for providing us with the video and some of the pictures in the gallery below.
Great friends, great route and great food. You cannot ask for much more than that. See you next year at the 3rd Annual Ride for Sgt. Eddie Ryan.
Gallery:
