Although the National American Legion Legacy Run was canceled due to the current health pandemic, it did not stop the Department of North Carolina American Legion Riders (NCALR) from holding their inaugural Legacy Scholarship Fund Ride Oct. 1-3, 2020. The ride consisted of four legs or “spokes” converging in Raleigh on Saturday morning for the monthly Reading of the Names of missing in action or prisoners of war from North Carolina at the Last Firefight Vietnam War Memorial on the North Carolina Capitol grounds. North Carolina Riders chapters, posts, Auxiliary units and districts came together and raised $23,961.50 for the Legacy Scholarship. The ride consisted of 138 participants from North Carolina (94) and several other departments, including Maryland with 10 riders and their contribution of $47,100, the Department of Virginia with 27 riders and their contribution of $32,000, two riders from the Department of Florida, and three from the Department of Washington. The total collected from this ride was $102,356.50. The goal for the NCALR was $20,000, which they exceeded.
This year’s ride included American Legion National Commander James “Bill” Oxford and his wife Frances, National Commander’s Aide Larry Cline, National American Legion Riders Advisory Chairman Mark Clark and his wife Linda, Southeast ALR Representative, Jim Day and his wife Jennifer, West ALR Representative and Department of Washington Adjutant Jessie Horton, Department of North Carolina Alternate National Executive Committeeman Patricia Harris, Commander James Moore and Adjutant Randy Cash. Department of Washington Commander, Bob Clark, and Detachment of Washington National Executive Committeeman John Clark. From the Department of Virginia, Commander Bill Feasenmyer, Immediate Past Commander A.B. Brown, ALR Chairman Jim Althouse.
The Legacy Scholarship is a needs-based scholarship provides college money for children of fallen U.S. military personnel or those who became over 50 percent disabled while on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. To learn more about the Legacy Scholarship, go to www.legion.org/scholarships/legacy.