Soldier ride mixes fundraising, recovery

A conversation at an Amagansett bar has evolved into a way to honor soldiers who have died or been severely injured in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Saturday, the "Soldier Ride," which has raised millions of dollars, expects at least six wounded soldiers to bike in the North Fork Soldiers Ride. The 30-mile bicycle trip, which starts at Mitchell Park in Greenport and loops around Mattituck, is dedicated to 1st Lt. Joseph Theinert of Shelter Island, who was killed last year in Afghanistan.

This ride empowers the soldiers, said Peter Honerkamp, an event organizer and owner of the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett, where the bar conversation about how to help soldiers took place. "After they have lost a leg, or are blind or burned or lost an arm . . . they now get out of the hospital and get on a bike."

The soldiers lead the race, on hand cycles, and with prosthetics on regular bikes. Other riders stay behind, taking a slower pace in the beginning of the race out of respect, event organizers said. Walkers are welcome too.

On July 23, at least 1,500 riders will participate in the South Fork ride, which will start in Amagansett and honors Lance Cpl. Jordan C. Haerter of Sag Harbor, who was killed in Iraq in 2008.

"This enables the general public, aside from showing support for their sacrifices, to participate in the [soldier's] recovery," said Chris Carney, a bartender at the club who rode a bike cross-country in 2004 and raised $1 million for wounded soldiers. "For some [soldiers], it's their very first time on a bike, or doing anything athletic for that matter."

During Carney's eight-week bike ride from Montauk Point to San Diego in 2004, he met two young war veterans, amputees, who wanted to ride with him for the weekend. They rode with Carney from Denver to Colorado Springs.

"Then we realized the rehabilitative effect of the ride," Carney, 41, from East Hampton, said. "Especially for young athletic individuals who have not been doing anything athletic since being wounded."

"We can't help those who made the ultimate sacrifice," Carney said. "The best thing we can do is to take care of their buddies, who they were taking care of when they died."