Beckley Police Patrolman Jeremy Young and fellow motorcyclists rode in honor of a fellow officer killed in the line of duty Saturday — in “torrential” rain.
“Two days later, my leather is still soaked,” he said Monday. “I could only see a tail light in front of me. I couldn’t even see the road below.
“But our driving through that rain was nothing compared to the sacrifice he made.”
Saturday’s first Chuck Smith Memorial Ride, which spanned four counties, raised $667 and drew 52 motorcyclists to Beckley, Young said. Young is also president of the Patriots Pride motorcycle riding group’s Beckley chapter and a co-organizer of the event. All proceeds have gone to a City National Bank memorial fund benefiting the late Detective Cpl. Chuck Smith’s daughter, Taylor.
Smith, 29, was shot and killed during an Aug. 29, 2006, undercover drug buy. The bike ride fell on the third anniversary of his death.
“For the first year, this is amazing,” he said. “We were totally psyched. This was so much more than we expected — all we could have ever hoped for. Next year, we hope to at least double it — with 100 or more.”
The ride attracted law enforcement officers from numerous city, county, state and federal agencies, Young said. The New River Chapter of the Iron Pigs Motorcycle Club also brought riders, and several motorcyclists who were not even police officers or in a club, joined the ride as well.
Young also noted several people who did not ride donated money, and about $150 came from them.
The motorcyclists rode from Beckley to Shady Spring, where they headed toward Hinton. There, they drove to Rainelle and to Hico. Young said that as soon as riders hit Hico, the “torrential” rain hit and continued as they drove south on U.S. 19 to Bradley.
But the rain cleared just as the group’s nearly six-hour ride ended at Smith’s Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens gravesite, Young said. There, the riders were escorted by Beckley police cruisers and met Smith’s family — who also came to the ride’s kickoff. All gathered to pay their respects to Smith and pray.
The rain re-started as the motorcyclists left the cemetery.
“God cleared the way for us and gave us enough time to pay our respects,” Young said.
Young wanted to thank several people and groups who helped the motorcycle ride successful. These included the Smith family, Gem Photography’s George Bragg, Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, the Iron Pigs’ New River Chapter, all solo riders, the Beckley Police Department and non-motorcyclists who made donations.
— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com
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