Riders surpass Legacy Run donation record

American Legion Riders are a force to be reckoned with – they surpassed their Legacy Run donation record from last year by more than $1 million.

On Sept. 1, more than $812,000 was donated to the Legacy Run during the Legion’s national convention in Baltimore. That brought the total for this year’s Run to a record $1,249,684.13 for The American Legion Legacy Fund, which provides college scholarships for the children of fallen military personnel who died on active duty on or since Sept. 11, 2001.

Hundreds of American Legion Riders took part in the four-day Legacy Run – which left Indianapolis on Aug. 23 and covered more than 1,000 miles through Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania before arriving in Maryland. They collected more than $436,000 prior to and during the ride.

Once in Baltimore, the donations poured in. The Department of Florida donated $173,000. Another $103,754 came from the Department of Minnesota, $64,566 from the Department of Missouri, $59,050 from the Department of Wisconsin, $54,000 from the Department of New York and $52,512 from the Department of South Carolina.

American Legion Post 593 in Converse, Texas, donated $50,000, and in doing so surpassed $300,000 in total donations made to the Legacy Run since its start.

When the first Legacy Run left Indianapolis and headed to Salt Lake City 10 years ago, its participants had a goal of raising $50,000. That ride netted more than three times the goal. And that was just the start. In 10 years, the Legacy Run has raised more than $6 million for the Legacy Fund.

"The Riders are the only program that encompasses the Legion, the Sons of The American Legion and Auxiliary," said Bob Sussan, chairman of The American Legion Riders Advisory Committee. "From the onset, the Riders have adopted the Legacy Scholarship Fund, and annually we ride for the children of our fallen brothers and sisters."

I am proud of our Legion Riders, and they deserve a big applause for ensuring college scholarships are awarded to children whose parents made the ultimate sacrifice. To be a part of the more than 106,000 Legion Riders, find a chapter in your area by visiting www.legion.org/riders/chapterlocater.