The Benedictine campus was gleaming with chrome on July 31st, as the 20th Chrome City Ride made its way back after a two-year hiatus. A fundraiser to support the children and adults with developmental disabilities that Benedictine serves was a welcome site to see. This year’s event raised $100,000 and Benedictine’s campus in Ridgely welcomed close to 1,000 riders, drivers and spectators. This event has grown into one of the largest rides in the state.
“The students and adults that we serve were delighted to see the motorcycles and classic cars descend upon our school campus,” explained Executive Director, Scott Evans. “This is an important fundraiser for Benedictine and it brings joy to everyone that attends.”
Benedictine students and staff enjoyed Chrome City Ride as it returned to celebrate its 20 anniversary and raise funds to support the crucial services that Benedictine provides to the moderate to severe developmental disabilities and autistic individuals they serve.
Spud Blake, the founder of Chrome City Ride, has led a team of dedicated friends and colleagues, mostly in state and local law enforcement, to execute this motorcycle rally ride and car show which has five rally points located on both sides of the Bay Bridge.
“I am eternally grateful to each and every committee member that has volunteered their time, many of them since the first Chrome City Ride event 20 years ago. I am also thankful for the dedicated staff at Benedictine,” commented Spud Blake. “My sister was placed with Benedictine many years ago after my family had done a nation-wide search. The residents of Benedictine are treated with so much dignity, love and respect. It has been a fantastic place for Barbara and for our family too.”
Benedictine school campus in Ridgely was filled with motorcycles for its 20th anniversary Chrome City Ride motorcycle rally and car show.
Sponsors of the event included WBOCCoast Country and Spicer Bros. Construction, Forever Media – WINX and WCEI, WRNR, A.H. Hatcher, Inc., The HILB Group Mid-Atlantic, Grimm + Parker Architects, M&T Bank, Hitchcock Autoworks & Custom Exhaust LLC, Clark Associates Financial Planning, Inc., Tri Gas and Oil, Kent Island American Legion, Choptank Transport, Easton Elks #1622, Association of Maryland Pilots, CORE Property Group of Coldwell Banker, Optimist Club of Loch Raven Maryland Inc., Blanchet Concrete Pumping LLC, and many Benedictine families and donors. Since its inception Chrome City Ride has raised over $2 million to support the children and adults with moderate to severe developmental disabilities that Benedictine serves.
“We are very proud to have been a sponsor of the 20th annual Chrome City Ride. Knowing that Benedictine provides life-changing service to countless children and adults with developmental disabilities, this was an event we were excited to get behind,” commented Brian Spicer, President of Spicer Bros. Construction. “Benedictine offers amazing educational programs, community living programs, as well as employment training programs to the individuals they serve. Community support is vital in allowing them to continue providing these important services, so we wanted to help bring as much awareness and support to the ride and the great cause behind it as possible.”
The winner of the Sister Choice Award, named after Sister Jeannette, who led Benedictine from its’ inception in 1959 until her retirement in 2012, was Joe Leabers for his 2009 Harley Davidson Custom-Built Road King and Dan Ruby for his 1949 Mercury Coupe. Rally point partners include Outback Steakhouse in Annapolis; CPR Porsche Restoration in Easton; Rommel Harley Davidson Delmarva in Salisbury; Old Glory Harley Davidson in Laurel; and Hitchcock Autoworks in Owings.
Motorcycles, street rods, classic and custom cars were all invited to participate and everyone that registered received an official Chrome City Ride t-shirt, lunch from Famous Dave’s and a day of fun and entertainment with door prizes, car contests and music.
For more information on Benedictine’s events, services and ways to support, please contact Claudia Cunningham at [email protected] 410 634 2292. Visit Benedictine at www.benschool.org.
About Benedictine:
Benedictine is a non-sectarian, nonprofit, comprehensive service provider helping more than 200 children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities and autism achieve their greatest potential. Benedictine’s year-round educational program is one of only 26 nationwide to earn a two-year accreditation from the National Commission for Accreditation of Special Education Services (NCASES). This program includes home-like living and learning options on the Ridgely, Maryland campus, for children ages 5 to 21 who come from Maryland and surrounding states. Benedictine’s Adult Services program offers employment and vocational services for transitional youth and adults, ages 22 to 70+, in the community and those who live in Benedictine’s group homes in Caroline, Talbot and Anne Arundel counties. The Easton Community Services & Training Center prepares the adults it serves to enter the workforce and collaborates with the Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Caroline and Dorchester County public schools to provide services to their students through the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) Program. For more information, visit www.benschool.org.
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