Just a reminder to make your reservations for Monday at Restaurant 3!! You can also make a reservation through Open Table and note in the comments that you are with "WE Give." I just found out that Monarch Title of McLean has agreed to match another 10% for Operation Second Chance. All you have to do is come and eat and 40% will go a great charity. You have to eat somewhere, I hope you will choose Restaurant 3 on Monday!
As founder, I am compelled to testify as to what happened on the very first Ride Allegheny (RA1). I sat in my office at City Hall talking with some old bearded dude, who told me about a bike trail from Pittsburgh to DC. I was enthused about such a ride and began planning to do it in the fall of that year, it was Spring, 2001. So I put the word out in the local neighborhood paper, the Town Crier, looking for people to join me. Dave Baseheart was the first idiot to agree to come along.
RA 2012 was my inaugural ride and it was truly a fantastic 4-day journey that I’ll never forget. The amazing scenery, the wonderful people I met along the way, the team spirit and the fantastic cause, immediately made this a “must do” annual event for me. I was truly sad when it was over. My only regret is deliberating over it for so long (years) and missing out on the experience….but, I won’t’ miss out again. Give yourself a huge gift this year and join in.
I have had the honor and pleasure of participating in The Ride Allegheny event several times over the last 10 years. My first experience on the ride was when it was friends and family and simply the pursuit of camaraderie and the challenge of pushing my athletic limits! After 911, after the world changed for all of us, the ride took on new meaning for the founders and the participants, by dedicating the ride to Operation Second Chance.
Why do I ride? Because someone else decided to serve on the front. They picked up where I left off. They're serving the American public now. And they've come back physically and mentally injured, needing additional financial care and support to get back on their feet or to establish themselves after extensive rehabilitation. Uncle Sam doesn't pay for everything. Once a Warrior transitions out due to disability, their financial support is limited, yet they need financial support to continue receiving care.
The Ride is an experience of a lifetime! I'd recommend this adventure for everyone's bucket list. It takes you through western Pennsylvania and eastward along the Youghiogheny and Potomac River towards Washington DC. The countryside viewed from a bicycle is spectacular.
The official RA Ride Guide is here for a detailed road map of the adventure of your life. "Everything you wanted to know about Ride Allegheny but were afraid to ask" Special thanks to Dave Baseheart and the RA Rider Veterans for their collective efforts in putting this work of art together. Please access attachment under the read more link.
