Local residents and injured veterans will be hopping on their bikes and riding alongside one another on Friday, July 21, for this year’s Soldier Ride.
And the 25-mile bicycle race through the Town of Babylon, which is sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project, is marking its 10th year. As of now, there are over 1,000 racers registered, along with about 50 injured veterans, according to the Wounded Warrior Project.
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Registration will be open until 7 a.m. the day of the race.
Online registration ends Thursday, July, 20. The registration fees, which range from $20-$35, also cover the cost of the number bib and a lunch following the race.
“[The race] is to raise funds and awareness,” says Tara Lee of the Wounded Warrior Project.
The goal of this year’s ride is $200,000, with all of the proceeds being split evenly between the Wounded Warrior Project and the Suffolk County United Veterans.
The kick-off ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. in front of Babylon Town Hall in Lindenhurst. From there, the racers will head across the Robert Moses Causeway and finish at Overlook Beach with a community picnic (map below).
The Wounded Warrior Project hosts community rides in towns and cities across the U.S., but the two races on Long Island — there’s one in Babylon Town and another on the South Fork — hold the most history.
“Many of the Wounded Warriors’ founders were involved with the first Soldier Ride, which entailed locals out in Amagansett sitting around figuring out ways to raise awareness,” said Lee.
The rides grew out of an effort of Long Islander Chris Carney, who in 2004 rode his bike across the nation to raise awareness for injured veterans.
His ride garnered media attention, and in 2011 he was even recognized by President Barack Obama. There was also a documentary produced that details his nearly 4,000-mile trek across the States.
From then on, soldier rides picked up steam through the Wounded Warrior Project.
“Over the years it grew to a community ride, where folks would join warriors as they ride,” said Lee.
However the other races in the country typically will involved about 50 wounded veterans riding across a given area. But the community rides on Long Island remains special and unique compared to the other races.
“The races in Babylon and in the Hamptons are the two only two rides [in the country] where people can cycle with these warriors,” Lee said.
Top: Soldier Ride promo video courtesy of the Wounded Warrior Project.
