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Riders cruise for the Legion, war veterans

Remembrance on one day a year is not enough for a local riding club. Ten years ago the Southern Cruisers Riding Club was formed in Sudbury and not long after they were looking for a way to honour veterans.
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The Southern Cruisers riding club held its 10th annual Ride to the Wall in in late August to honour war veterans and raise funds for local Legion branches. Supplied
Remembrance on one day a year is not enough for a local riding club.

Ten years ago the Southern Cruisers Riding Club was formed in Sudbury and not long after they were looking for a way to honour veterans. One day a year isn’t enough to honour Canada’s veterans, said member Butch Ouimette.

On Aug. 24, the club held its 10th annual Ride to the Wall, with 187 people in attendance. Some of these SCRC members came from across the province, making the trek to the North Bay cenotaph for this day of remembrance.

“It doesn’t take much to get people out for this,” Ouimette said. “We have people from the whole province. We even have a provincial officer from Quebec here.”

Ouimette, a provincial officer with the club, hasn’t missed a single Ride to the Wall, even when many people thought it was going to be rained out a few years ago.

“We love doing it,” Ouimette says. “You talk to any biker, and they love doing something for our veterans. They’re all on board for something like this.”

“It’s been growing every year,” added Paul Levasseur, first officer with Chapter 418 of Sudbury. “We never have any problem getting people out. It’s all for a good cause.”

The club donated $1,000 to Legion Branch 23 in North Bay from events it holds through the year. In addition to that, the club donated $2,200 to Branch 76 in Sudbury. All proceeds from club events, Levasseur noted, go to either Branch 23 in North Bay or Branch 76 in Sudbury.

The ride day was finished up at Branch 76 in Sudbury with a meal, door prizes and live entertainment, provided by Dani Starr.

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