National leadership has high praise for the participants of the Legacy Run, which has raised more than $400,000 so far.
The 2025 American Legion Legacy Run came to an end Thursday at Harley-Davidson of West Chapel in Lutz, Fla., bringing to a close a journey that started Aug. 17 in Virginia.
And at the end of the journey, American Legion Riders National Chairman Mark Clark had high praise for those who had completed the at-times grueling ride that saw temperatures hit the low-90s at times, along with all the humidity the South is so good about providing.
Clark said the Legacy Run “has a million moving parts. But all of the planning, all of the preparation, all of that would be nothing if the dedicated American Legion Riders didn’t come to ride the ride. To the best motorcycle riders in America, the leadership team tips our cap to you. Thank you for coming.”
On hand to greet the ride was American Legion National Commander James LaCoursiere Jr., who also spoke glowingly of the Riders. “I thank you for everything that you do, your principles, your endurance and your compassion,” he said. “All that you did this past week for the Veterans and Children Foundation (VCF), all that you do for The American Legion and our project, from my heart to yours I sincerely say thank you American Legion Riders.”
The ride brings with it more than $400,000 for the VCF, which allows the Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance to provide grants to feed and house children of military personnel and veterans facing urgent, unexpected hardships. The grants prevent eviction, keep the power on and fulfill basic needs to hold a family together through difficult times.
The VCF also covers training and accreditation costs for American Legion claims experts who provide free representation for veterans and families applying for disability benefits, survivor assistance, GI Bill opportunities and more.
On Thursday, donations for the ride totaled more than $80,000, including $54,000 from the Department of Virginia’s State Legacy Run. Virginia has donated $550,000 to the Legacy Run over the past eight years.
But the ride wasn’t just about fundraising. First-year Chief Road Captain Ken Nadeau wanted the participants to come away with something more.
“I hope everybody here had a great time,” Nadeau said. “I hope everybody got a chance to build memories and establish new opportunities to grow together – not just as a family here, but throughout the communities that we join. We hope … you’ve had the opportunity to have memories that will touch you for the rest of your life. I hope, honestly, that these experiences that you had lead you back here next year when we go to Louisville. Please join us. Please be a continuing part of the legacy of this run.”
Madame President Joins the Ride. On its final day, the Legacy Run saw a new face join the cause: American Legion Auxiliary President Trish Ward. She spent Thursday on the back of the Harley-Davidson of Assistant Chief Road Captain and immediate Past Department of Maryland Commander David Heredia.
Ward had no plans on not missing being a part of the Legacy Run. “Supporting our American Legion Family is what I am all about,” she said. “The American Legion Riders are such an important part of the American Legion Family, and I wouldn’t miss this ride for anything. They do so much good for so many people and raise a great amount of money to help our Veterans and Children Foundation.”
Taking part in the ride was a first for Ward. “I didn’t grow up with motorcycles,” she admitted. “This was really my first opportunity on a motorcycle for more than about five minutes. I was so happy to be on such a great bike with someone taking care of me, making sure I got to Tampa Bay safely. And making sure all of the other Riders were safe, too.
“And it was so amazing to see the community out and about supporting us at every stop we made. It was really, really a wonderful experience.”
Separated, But Still Connected. Maryland Legionnaire Keith Clevenger has been on eight Legacy Runs – the past two on the advance team. And though he knows that on the last day of every one of them he’ll say goodbye to fellow Riders he may not see again for another year, the bonds remain strong.
“There’s definitely sadness. I’ve already said goodbye to a few of them,” said Clevenger, a Rider and Legionnaire from Francis Scott Key Post 11 in Frederick. “You keep in touch with a lot of them, but a lot of them you only see physically once a year during this.
“But then the next time, it’s just like a military friend. It might be 20 years and you see them at a reunion. Twenty years have gone by, and next thing you know you guys are back caught up like you never left the camaraderie.”
Clevenger serves on the advance team with his wife Jami, a Legion Rider and member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 11. Filling that role does impact how much time he gets with his fellow Riders.
“That’s one of the things I miss on the advance team,” he said. “I miss the morning briefings. I miss the interactions that everybody has at all the stops. The only time we get any interaction with anybody is at the end of the day. That’s one thing I miss by being on the advance team.
“But I enjoy the team that we have. We had four or five new members this year. They fit right in, and after a couple of stops they knew where they needed to go.”
The First-Timers. During the ride’s kickoff event Aug. 16 in South Boston, Va., the question of how many first-time Legacy Run participants were there. Dozens raised their hands.
One of those was Susan Miley, a member of American Legion Post 68 in Bridgeport, W.Va., and ALR Chapter 31 in Shinnston. And it was one particular experience that summed up pretty accurately her experience.
“When I was pulling into the hotel we were staying in the second night, and it was a hot day, a guy was getting off his bike and we were talking,” Miley said. “He goes, ‘This is like the best time and worst time of my life.’ He goes, ‘I come back every year.’ I was laughing. That was a great way to explain it.”
Miley has been riding motorcycles most of her life. “We’ve had dirt bikes when we were kids, and then in my 20s I got my first street bike. And I’ve been riding ever since,” she said. “I’ve probably rode (in rides) with 150-200 motorcycles, but it wasn’t an American Legion-type thing. It was a little bit more crazy. I like more of a structured ride.”
She admits between the heat and pace, the Legacy Run was difficult at times. “I didn’t realize it was going to as taxing physically as it was,” she said. “I think because I ride and have been riding so long, I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve got this.’ And then with the heat and not ever ridden with (this many bikes), I didn’t realize the stop and go, stop and go.”
But it was worth it.
“I was the assistant road captain for (L) Flight,” Miley said. “It just brings you back to that military vibe. And I really liked it. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”
Another newcomer was Luis Ramirez, road captain Chapter 111 in Tampa. He was encouraged to do so by friends who he’s rode with on large Department of Florida rides.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” he said of his experience over the past five days. “It’s a hard ride, but I knew it was going to be a hard ride. But it’s been good.
“Everyone here is great people. You can make friends with anyone here. It’s a great experience. A lot of bonding.”
Darich Leister – who is in the process of moving from Ohio to Port Charlotte, Fla., and now is a member of Post and Chapter 110 there – took part in this year’s Legacy Run for the first time because “I want to get back involved with the Legion. I’d left The American Legion when my career took over. I was a past commander when I was 27 years old. Now, I’m retired, so I want to get back to being involved.”
And his ride experience: “It gives me cold chills just thinking about it. It’s pretty awesome,” said Leister.
A First-Timer – With Added Responsibility. Another newcomer on the ride was Tina Prince, a member of Chapter 348 in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and first vice commander of the post. But she wasn’t just a rider. A retired nurse, she also served as the ride medic.
The position came about through her friendship Legacy Run Chief Road Captain Ken Nadeau; the pair rode on rides together when she lived in New Mexico. Prince admitted some apprehension ahead of the ride.
“I was very nervous,” she said. “I didn’t know how big the ride was. It was huge. I didn’t know all of the logistics of it. My first ride with them and being the medic and not really knowing what to anticipate.
“I know what could happen on a motorcycle ride anytime anywhere. Thankfully, a lot of the things I needed to give attention to had to do with hydration, some exhaustion. A lot of that kind of stuff. Not drinking enough kind of fluids.”
Prince, who was joined on the ride by her husband Rex, a member of Sons of The American Legion Squadron and Chapter 348, said her experience was “really exceptional: to be able to meet some people that are in similar interests. They ride motorcycles. They’re in that American Legion Family. To really get to meet and to talk to them … was outstanding.”
And it may not be her last time on a Legacy Run. “I intend to come back,” she said. “Many people have asked if I’ll be back next year, and I would like to.”
Early Support. While the reception at the close of the ride was amazing, support for the Legion Riders started early in the day.
At the gas stop in Dunnellon, more than two dozen American Legion Family members from Florida gathered at the entrance to the Marathon station off U.S. 41, holding signs and cheering as the Riders filled up their tanks.
Florida District 4 Commander Darcy Bockman-Wright, a member of Al Krietemeyer American Legion Post 284, helped organize the effort.
“These are my comrades,” she said of the Riders on the Legacy Run. “It’s about the mission. We’ve got various Legionnaires and supporters here just to let them know we’re behind them. We may not be on a bike, but we’re here to give them water, cheer them on and help them cross the finish line. We’re all here for the same mission.”
- Riders