Legacy Run promises ‘beautiful’ backdrops, opportunity to celebrate Riders’ 30th anniversary
On Aug. 20, the 18th American Legion Legacy Run will leave Kokomo, Ind., and over the next five days will travel around 1,000 miles while traversing through Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. In North Carolina on the final day, the contingent of American Legion Riders and supports will arrive at the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Concord to conclude the ride. Check out details of the ride here.
For National American Legion Riders Chairman Mark Clark, it will be his third year as the ride’s chief road captain; he took over that role in 2020, but the actual ride was cancelled because of the pandemic.
Clark talked with American Legion Social Media Manager and Legacy Run Correspondent Steven B. Brooks about this year’s ride, including daily highlights, advice to newcomers to the ride, and how proud he is of the fundraising efforts for the Legacy Fund prior to the ride.
Steven B. Brooks: What are some of the daily highlights of this year’s ride?
Mark Clark: Our first day is going to be highlighted by the celebration of our 30th anniversary at Post 396 in Garden City, Mich. We’re going to end our second day at probably the prettiest American Legion post I’ve ever seen: Post 598 in Kettering, Ohio. What a beautiful post. It’s on nine acres of land, it’s just gorgeous, and I think our Riders are really going to be taken by the beauty and the kind of tribute to The American Legion that that building is in the heart of that community.
On Day 3, we’re going to get to ride into Barboursville, W.Va., and this is where the ride really starts to get pretty. Not that riding through the farmland of the heart of America is not pretty. It’s beautiful through there. But it’s a different kind of beauty when you start getting into the foothills and the mountains, and you start to see the topography change. We’re going to stop in some small communities along the way for fuel and food, and we’re going to get to interact with American Legion Family members all along the route. That ride into Barboursville is going to be beautiful. We’re going to cross the Ohio River on this big, beautiful bridge. We’re going to come down and ride along the Ohio River as we head into Barboursville. Just a really pretty ride.
On Day 4, when we leave out of Barboursville to head to Bristol, Tenn., the ride just gets prettier every mile we ride. The viewscapes they’re going have on that ride to Bristol are just breathtaking. And I think they’re going to enjoy the fact that when we get into Bristol, we’re going to the Bristol Motor Speedway, and we’re all going to get a chance to get our photograph taken as a group inside the track on the bleachers there. The local post, Post 145, will be open for those that want to go down and just enjoy the fellowship of a local post. And we’re going to take the national leaders that are with us over there for a meet and greet.
The next day is the day that everybody’s going to talk about. When we leave out of the Bristol Motor Speedway, we’re going to ride Historic U.S. 421. That’s commonly referred to as “The Snake.” We’re going to ride a portion of “The Snake”. It’s a famous motorcycle road … and does have switchbacks and turns – all the things that make motorcycling fun. Our folks are going to get a chance to do that. We’re going to ride into the Shady Valley of Tennessee and stop at the Shady Valley Country Store and let everybody get their ”I road The Snake stickers” and stuff that motorcyclists do when they go through there. And then we’re going to stop in Mountain City, Tenn., where we’re going to lay a wreath and recognize those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom at their veterans memorial. And from there we’ll ride into Lenoir, N.C., for lunch … and then off to Hendrick Motorsports complex, where we’ll end the ride at one of the most impressive places I’ve ever seen. This is going to be a highlight not just of this ride, but of every ride we’ve had up to this point. They’re going to have pit crew demonstrations, they’re going to have the team shops open, they’re going to have the museum open. They’re letting us use their team center for our end-of-ride festivities. They’ll have food trucks on the ground for us. It really is going to be a cool way to end this year’s Legacy Run.
Question: How important, but also how cool is it, to be able to incorporate Post 396 in Garden City, Mich. – the founding American Legion Riders chapter – on this ride on the 30th anniversary of the inception of the Riders.
Clark: I think it’s critically important on our 30th anniversary year. I think to not go there would have been a terrible decision. Our lineage starts there. A lot of folks have joined The American Legion because of the American Legion Riders. That identity is important to them. To be able to take us on our 30th anniversary back to where it started. Where that simple idea of motorcycle enthusiasts getting together and riding for The American Legion, I think it’s critically important for us. I cannot imagine planning any route for this year’s Legacy Run that didn’t include Post 396. It’s a must, I think, in our 30th anniversary year.
Question: For somebody who is maybe participating in the Legacy Run for the first time, what do you tell those Riders?
Clark: I would tell them, “You can expect to come and be surrounded by their fellow Riders from across the country that have this shared passion for this cause.” That they don’t have to worry about the challenge of the ride or any of that, because we’re going to have these experienced leaders in each flight that are going to be able to work with them, and help them feel comfortable and get into their rhythm of riding in the group.
When we put this ride together, we actually try to build upon their riding skill. We try to start them in relatively flat land. We put them on different roads: some with shoulders, some without shoulders. We try to get them comfortable in all the riding environments they’re going to get when they get into the more challenging parts of the ride. The first two days we try to let that ride be pretty easy for them, and let them get into a rhythm and get comfortable in their group. And then when we get into the more challenging parts of the ride, there’s no reason for them to be nervous.
Question: How nice is it to able to get a chance to visit some of these American Legion posts along the route, and bringing to those posts 200-plus of your closest friends with you?
Clark: I think it’s critically important. First of all, they’re our brothers and sisters. They’re part of the same organization, and they’re trying to do those great things in their community. I think one thing the Legacy Run does for us is it allows us to bring attention to that post. We can’t be ignored: the size of our formation, the sound of the thunder that we create when we roll into a town. And it does give those posts an opportunity to show off what they do in their community and to really just open their arms up to us. We’re always appreciative of that.
Question: At last count, well over $600,000 has been raised for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund from state Legacy Runs. What can you say about the efforts of American Legion Riders on the state level when it comes to fundraising?
Clark: I can’t thank them enough for the work that they’ve done or the dedication they have for this cause. I follow all the stuff they’re doing on Facebook, and we’ve got Riders in those departments that send me updates on what they’re doing. And I’m always so incredibly thrilled to see what they’re doing. The goal has always been to set a (fundraising) record every year. Do more, do more, do more. But when you consider the state of the U.S. economy right now, how challenged people are right now just to pay their bills … for folks to still go out and give their energy, time and treasure to be able to do these things. To make these local runs work. To go out and talk to businesses and collect the money and do all that, it’s just humbling to be a part of that. They continue to exceed their goals in the departments, and I’m just tickled to death.
I’m always anxious to see what we end up with at the end. I would sure love for us to reach that $1.5 million. That’s always been a goal, and we’ve never quite gotten there. I’ll be interested to see how close we get this year. I suspect we’re going to be close.
Follow the 2023 Legacy Run with daily updates in the Legion Riders section of legion.org; and on social media using the hashtag #LegacyRun2023: