Legion Riders’ annual fundraising effort benefits the Veterans and Children Foundation.
The American Legion Riders – and their respective departments and fellow Legion Family members – once again showed their ability to rally around a cause during the opening floor session of The American Legion National Convention.
The Riders, many of whom arrived in Tampa Aug. 16 at the tail end of the 2025 Legacy Run, lined up to present donations to The American Legion Veterans and Children Foundation (VCF). And when they were finished, they and their Legion Family counterparts had added more than $427,000 in donations.
Combined with the $428,679 raised prior to and along the Legacy Run, Tuesday’s donations brought the total of this year’s ride to $855,785.
“I can tell you there’s no harder-working group of people, no more generous group of people in our American Legion Family than the Rider community,” American Legion Riders National Chairman Mark Clark said. “I can’t tell you how proud I am to stand up here and have the opportunity to represent them all.”
Through the foundation’s funding, the Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance grants feed and house children of military personnel and veterans facing urgent, unexpected hardships. These 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.
All of the funds raised on the Legacy Run will directly benefit the VCF. The Department of Maryland had donated $235,000 to the ride at its kickoff event Aug. 16 and then donated another $6,000 on stage for a total of more than $240,000. The department has donated $1 million to the Legacy Run over the past 10 years.
Other top donors to the ride were the Departments of South Carolina ($83,969), Virginia ($54,000), Texas ($47,177), California ($43,392) and Missouri ($38,495).
“The national Legacy Run is the largest cross-country motorcycle ride of its kind,” Clark said. “We are the largest veterans cross-country motorcycle ride riding for a purpose anywhere in the country. We are a rolling billboard for The American Legion, and we take great pride in representing the best of us in all of the communities that we ride through.
“But the Legacy Run is much more than a once-a-year event. It serves as a catalyst for fundraising in the American Legion Riders community all year long in our departments. And that provides us with a unifying cause to grab onto as a group and to believe in and ride for. And we believe in the Veterans and Children Foundation.”
Prior to the presentation of donations, the Department of Maryland’s Legion Riders were presented with the first Past National Commander William M. Detweiler Excellence Award. The award is presented by the VCF to the department that delivers the most total contributions in support of The American Legion’s Children & Youth and Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation programs.
- Riders