Red Knights, Nathanael Greene’s team up for MDA ride
GREENE – Jim Ross spent Wednesday getting his Gold Wing ready for this weekend’s Red Knights Poker Run. He feels strongly about supporting the event. Not only because he’s a charter member of the group, which is comprised of volunteer firefighters and emergency squad members from Chenango and Broome counties, but because proceeds from the event will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).
For Ross, it is a cause which hits close to home. The 45-year old Oxford man was diagnosed 14 years ago with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSH) – a genetic, degenerative disease causes muscle weakness and wasting of facial muscles, as well as shoulders, upper arms, hips and legs.
“I was supposed to be in a wheelchair by now,” Ross said, repeating the prediction made by his doctor following his diagnosis with the progressive disease. But “Radar,” as he is known by others in the fire service, is not one to go quietly. He remembers telling his doctor: “I walked in here, and I’m walking out.”
He has had to make concessions to his more limited mobility, however. He now uses a motorized scooter, for example, if he’s attending events like a Binghmaton Mets game or the Chenango County Fair.
The Gold Wing was something of a concession as well, for the man who has been riding motorcycles since he was 16.
“If I didn’t have a trike, I couldn’t ride,” he said.
Ross does need a hand getting on and off his trike occasionally, which his fellow Red Knights are happy to provide.
“They are all very conscious of what I do,” he said.
Nathanael Greene’s Publick House owner Enzo Olivieri, who has partnered with the Red Knights to sponsor the ride, calls Ross the event’s “poster child,” since he is why they have chosen to support MDA with the ride. But Ross himself, is quick to brush that off.
“It’s not just for me,” he said, explaining that two other members of the Red Knights Chapter 40 had family members affected by ALS, another of the diseases for which MDA is striving for a cure.
Ross said he is hoping that having the event on Father’s Day will encourage families to come out for the ride.
“It’s supposed to be a gorgeous weekend,” he observed.
The inaugural Red Knights Motorcycle Club MDA Poker Run will take place this Sunday, June 20. Registration will being at 9 a.m. at Nathanael Greene’s Publick House on Genesee Street in Greene. The cost to participate is $20 per bike, $10 per rider and $5 per additional hand.
The run itself will kick off at 10 a.m. and follow a scenic, 80-mile route. Stops will be made at the Oxford Fire Station, The Olive Branch at The Jericho in Bainbridge, the Hitchin Post in Harpursville and Davy’s in Chenango Bridge.
Riders will return to Nathanael Greene’s at approximately 3 p.m. for refreshments, raffles and a Chinese auction.
According to Ross, the poker run will actually serve as a kick off for the Red Knight’s efforts to raise money for the MDA. They will continue fundraising through the summer, and present the non-profit with a check during the MDA’s annual Labor Day telethon.
“We’ll present the money right on TV,” he explained.
For Ross, it is a cause which hits close to home. The 45-year old Oxford man was diagnosed 14 years ago with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSH) – a genetic, degenerative disease causes muscle weakness and wasting of facial muscles, as well as shoulders, upper arms, hips and legs.
“I was supposed to be in a wheelchair by now,” Ross said, repeating the prediction made by his doctor following his diagnosis with the progressive disease. But “Radar,” as he is known by others in the fire service, is not one to go quietly. He remembers telling his doctor: “I walked in here, and I’m walking out.”
He has had to make concessions to his more limited mobility, however. He now uses a motorized scooter, for example, if he’s attending events like a Binghmaton Mets game or the Chenango County Fair.
The Gold Wing was something of a concession as well, for the man who has been riding motorcycles since he was 16.
“If I didn’t have a trike, I couldn’t ride,” he said.
Ross does need a hand getting on and off his trike occasionally, which his fellow Red Knights are happy to provide.
“They are all very conscious of what I do,” he said.
Nathanael Greene’s Publick House owner Enzo Olivieri, who has partnered with the Red Knights to sponsor the ride, calls Ross the event’s “poster child,” since he is why they have chosen to support MDA with the ride. But Ross himself, is quick to brush that off.
“It’s not just for me,” he said, explaining that two other members of the Red Knights Chapter 40 had family members affected by ALS, another of the diseases for which MDA is striving for a cure.
Ross said he is hoping that having the event on Father’s Day will encourage families to come out for the ride.
“It’s supposed to be a gorgeous weekend,” he observed.
The inaugural Red Knights Motorcycle Club MDA Poker Run will take place this Sunday, June 20. Registration will being at 9 a.m. at Nathanael Greene’s Publick House on Genesee Street in Greene. The cost to participate is $20 per bike, $10 per rider and $5 per additional hand.
The run itself will kick off at 10 a.m. and follow a scenic, 80-mile route. Stops will be made at the Oxford Fire Station, The Olive Branch at The Jericho in Bainbridge, the Hitchin Post in Harpursville and Davy’s in Chenango Bridge.
Riders will return to Nathanael Greene’s at approximately 3 p.m. for refreshments, raffles and a Chinese auction.
According to Ross, the poker run will actually serve as a kick off for the Red Knight’s efforts to raise money for the MDA. They will continue fundraising through the summer, and present the non-profit with a check during the MDA’s annual Labor Day telethon.
“We’ll present the money right on TV,” he explained.
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