Locals ride on Washington

by Susan Mikula Campbell
Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, June 11, 2009

While most people were spending Memorial Day weekend grilling hot dogs and saluting veterans at area ceremonies, Town of Niagara Supervisor Steven C. Richards and a group of local residents took it a step further.

Richards was among 10 people (seven from the Town of Niagara, two from Pendleton and one from Buffalo) who climbed on their motorcycles and drove all the way to Washington, D.C., for the annual Run for the Wall.

The Run was started in 1989 by two Vietnam veterans who traveled the country on their motorcycles, publicizing the fact that there were men and women who were unaccounted for from all wars. It evolved into the current Run, which brings motorcyclists from all over to the Vietnam Wall to honor not only POWs, MIAs and those killed in action, but all veterans. This year's Rolling Thunder parade on May 24 drew more than 350,000 riders.

This was the ninth year Richards has participated in the event.

"I always dedicate the ride to my father (Calvin Richards) who is a World War II vet," Richards said.

He estimated the ride took about 14 and a half hours each way. After leaving the Town of Niagara on Thursday, May 22, they stopped overnight in Harrisburg, Pa., then toured the Gettysburg battlefield, before continuing on to LaPlata, Md., where they were the guests of the Maryland IV chapter of the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club. On the way back, however, except for three who got separated during a heavy downpour, the riders drove straight through on Monday, May 25, without an overnight stop.

The local group rode with the Maryland Blue Knights during the parade that started at the Pentagon and went into D.C., and shared that group's picnic and awards ceremony.

"We won almost every single award they had there," said Town of Niagara rider Sue Fulle.

The Town of Niagara group won the award for largest group of riders joining the Maryland Blue Knights.

Fulle, who has only been riding motorcycles for a year and was on her first long distance ride, won the award for longest distance female rider. She was the only female with her own motorcycle in the group. The other two women rode as passengers on their husbands' motorcycles.

Wallace Blake III won for youngest rider, and Wallace Blake Jr. took the best hard luck story award.

The elder Blake had just been released from the hospital the morning the group left and had to catch up with them, Fulle said. "That's how much he loves going."

Fulle said she'd definitely make the trip again.

"We had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs," she said. "If you ride in a car or go on a bike, the (Rolling Thunder) parade is something to see. It was a wonderful experience, very moving."