The 16th annual Cpl. Brandon Hardy Memorial Ride will be held on Saturday, July 17, beginning and ending at the Gap Community Center, 835 Houston Run Drive, Gap.

Registration will be begin at 7:30 a.m.; the motorcycle ride will depart promptly at 9 a.m. Coffee and doughnuts will be available at registration.

The ride will travel through portions of Lancaster and Chester counties. There will be a stop at Herr Foods, where water and snacks will be available. The riders will return to Gap Community Center at approximately 11:30 a.m., where they will enjoy a barbecue chicken lunch.

A donation fee will be charged per rider, which is payable on the day of the event. Preregistration is not required. Nonriders are also invited to participate in the lunch only by paying the registration fee. All proceeds will benefit the Cpl. Brandon M. Hardy Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Brandon was killed in 2006 at the age of 25 while serving in Al Anbar, Iraq, while a member of the United States Marine Corps. Riders will travel past Brandon's grave in Nickel Mines, where they will go slowly in tribute.

According to Jill Hardy, Brandon's mother, the ride took place in 2020 during the pandemic, but it was moved to the Gap Community Center to allow for more social distancing. "We did it a little differently. We offered grab-and-go lunches, and the doughnuts were bagged," she said. "We still had a good turnout, and people enjoyed it." She noted that the same safety precautions will be in place this year.

Local fire companies and police departments will be on hand to ensure the riders' safety. Residents of area neighborhoods are welcome to cheer on the riders as they pass by. "We pray about the weather and the safety of the riders," Hardy said. "Weather is everything when it comes to motorcycles."

Jill and her husband, Warren, started the ride and the scholarship fund as a way to honor their son, a graduate of the Octorara Area School District."We give $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors who are entering the military," said Jill who is the school board and superintendent secretary for the Octorara Area School District. "To date, we have awarded $131,000 in scholarships." The scholarships are intended to finance the cost of items that are not provided by the military, such as tickets home to see family.

The ride has grown through the years, and it raises between $8,000 and $10,000 for the scholarship fund. "The first year there were 80 bikes; now, we average 160 riders," Hardy said. "There are many veterans on the ride as well. We always recognize them prior to the ride. We ask people who served to raise their hand."

Brandon's fellow service members travel from as far away as Spokane, Wash., where he was stationed, as well as Ohio, Pittsburgh and Tulsa, Okla., to participate. "It's a bittersweet day for sure, but two of the guys were with Brandon that night he was killed. Now, they are like sons to us," Jill said. "It warms this mother's heart to see them have a good time and interact with our kids. They are family for sure."

For more information about Brandon and the ride, visit http://www.cplbrandonhardy.com.