Legacy Run Day 3: Closing in on Maryland
(Photo by Lucas Carter)

Legacy Run Day 3: Closing in on Maryland

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The 2015 Legacy Run pressed on – Day Three on the road, raising funds for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund. We rolled out of Kent, Ohio, Portage Post 496 at 8 a.m., feeling the first hints of fall in the morning air. Traveling into Pennsylvania on our longest Interstate stretch of the Run, we continued our good luck with clear skies, views of rural farmland and deep green rolling hills keeping us energized.

Off the highway at DuBois, Penn., another 30-minute fuel stop was flawlessly executed by our advance team, led by Road Captain J.J. Jones and his assistant, Mark Gosney. A shout-out goes to DuBois George D. Montgomery Post 17 ALR Chapter President Jeff Sedor and the many chapter members who turned out in force to help direct our Riders through the fuel plaza. Kudos also go to Pennsylvania State Police Sgt. Fineman and his team, who covered us with escorts in and out of our stop.

As the Ride rolled through downtown DuBois toward a lunch stop at Post 17, the Riders honked horns and waved at many local residents who turned out to greet us. After lunch, Post Commander Billie Jo Powers introduced Congressman G. G. Thompson, who addressed the group.

Out of DuBois, the route led us down U.S. 219 through the Allegheny Mountains which treated the riders with sweeping curves and pastoral views. A highlight of this leg was a stop in Spangler, Penn., for a wreath-laying ceremony, where the entire town turned out to greet us with flags, fire engines and hundreds of spectators. National Commander Michael D. Helm laid a wreath at the Northern Cambria Veterans of All Wars Memorial, assisted by Lynn Wethergon Post 569 Commander Sam Taranto, Joseph Vodzak Post 508 Commander Fred Kuzma, and 20th District Commander Doug Reighard of Hall and Moriarity Post 551. Also in attendance were Cambria County Commissioner and Ret. U.S. Air Force Col. Douglas R Langenfelder, and many past and present officers and Legion Family members representing the 20th District of Pennsylvania.

Then it was back to the bikes for the final leg of the day into Somerset, Penn., where Legacy Run sponsor USAA had arranged a dinner at Kings Restaurant. Somerset Borough Chief of Police Randy Cox deployed officers to move us safely off the highway and into town. Dottie Ely and her crew at King’s served a hearty meal and brought in a local band to entertain the road-weary Riders during the meal. Through raffles and other local donations, King’s also presented a number of checks to the national commander. Each day, contributions large and small add up to the growing total of funds raised for 2015.

After dinner, everyone headed to hotels to prepare for the final day of the Run, when we will visit both the Flight 93 Memorial at Shanksville, Penn., and the Gettysburg Battlefields before we end with kickstands down in Towson, Md.

Click here for today’s leg of the Run.