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April 25, 2007

Kyle Price Memorial Ride set to roll Saturday

By MARY KAYE DAVIS

mary.kaye@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Marine Kyle Price, who died serving his country in Iraq in January 2006, was known for helping others, whether through kind acts or as a member of the Boy Scouts.

And his legacy of helping others lives on through the Kyle Price Memorial Ride which will be held Saturday.

Price, 19, of Woodlawn, the son of John and Cheryl Hunsell, was killed by small ammunition fire on Jan. 13, 2006, in Ramadi, Iraq, while protecting Marine engineers. He died less than three weeks before he was slated to come home.

This year the memorial ride, now in its second year, will raise funds for The Kyle Price Scholarship Fund, Woodlawn Boy Scout Troop 102, and The Wounded Heroes Fund. Area residents interesting in supporting the causes can purchase T-shirts and other items through the ride’s web site at www.kylepricememorialride.org or at ‘Lil Darlins Gift Shop at Times Square Mall or the Woodlawn Shell gas station.

And, although the event is formally labeled “a ride”, Kyle’s dad John Hunsell said the event is for everyone.

“We want to stress that you do not have to ride a motorcycle to take part in the ride and the fund raiser,” Hunsell said “We want to invite everyone to take part in the day’s events whether you ride your motorcycle or drive a car or just want to come have dinner with us.”

Hunsell said the mission is simple, and that is to remember the sacrifices of the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States of America. “The ride is in Kyle’s name, but the ride is in memory of all who are serving or have served.”

The all-day event begins 8:30 a.m. with a gathering at the Chapman Sports Complex in Woodlawn, according to Hunsell. The procession will leave there at 9:30 a.m. and will proceed to the Centralia Veterans Memorial at the city’s park where Sonic of Centralia will provide free biscuits and gravy to participants and a brief ceremony will be held.

The group is expected to leave Centralia at 11 a.m. and then head to the Veteran’s Memorial in Salem. There will be a “pit stop” in Flora, and the group will then proceed to the Veteran’s Monuments in Fairfield and Mt. Vernon. The group will leave Mt. Vernon around 5 p.m. and return to Woodlawn where a dinner fund raiser will be held.

Hunsell said he anticipates many riders will stay in the Jefferson County area and head to the Blessing of the Bikes at Bald Knob Cross which is Sunday.

The event is a true community effort, Hunsell said, citing the example of Jefferson County Sheriff Mulch who volunteered to coordinate a police escort through the five counties the ride will meander through.

“That effort means a lot to us,” Hunsell said.

But he added that the entire area has been very supportive of the family ever since Kyle’s death and the ride is a way to help repay that gratitude while at the same time keeping alive the memory of Kyle and other servicemen and women.

“Kyle would think this ride is just great. The ride is all about what he stood for — he loved to help others and he also liked motorcycles,” Hunsell said. “He loved life a lot. We miss Kyle every day of our lives and I know it will be that way forever.”

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