Faces Of Valor Motorcycle Ride Benefits Wounded Warriors
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- If you've been to Annapolis, you've probably visited Chick and Ruth's Delly. You may not know the owners of the landmark restaurant give back to the community in a big, big way.
Ron Matz reports on gifts from the heart that help those who help us.
At Chick and Ruth's Delly they serve up great food and friendship. But when owner Ted Levitt found out a customer's son had died in Iraq, he decided to do something. Faces of Valor USA was born.
"A family would come to the delly every year around the time of the Marine Corps Marathon. They were from Michigan. They would always bring a guest with them. One year they came without a guest. I sat with them and asked, 'Where's your guest?' They said, 'We have to tell you something.' The news was their son was killed in Iraq. When I heard that, my mind just started spinning," said Ted Levitt. "We took our 1931 Buick and we restored it to what it is today. There are 43 faces on it honoring our servicemen and women. Ben Sammis is the young man who was killed, and his face is on the car."
Saturday is the third annual Faces of Valor USA motorcycle ride which benefits wounded warriors.
"This is the third year for the ride. We've been doing the Pledge of Allegiance for 22 years at the delly, and I decided that's just talking. I wanted to walk the walk instead of just talking," said Ted Levitt.
"It's heartwarming. It's such a pleasure to watch us be able to help people the way we do. We try to do it every day in the delly. To take this up to the next level is just incredible," said Beth Levitt. "You've got to feel for these guys and what they've been through. We one see part of it in the media. But these guys live in the hospital. This is their life and it's just unbelievable to be able to help them."
Arlene Linkous will be riding and helping, too.
"This will be my second year riding. I was very proud to be part of it last year. I had the pleasure of meeting the family last year. It was very heartwarming. This year it means more to me than it did last year because now my son is a Marine," said Linkous.
"We'll have about a dozen wounded warriors from Walter Reed. We'll honor three of them. We're giving a car to one, we're giving a $5,000 college scholarship to one's son and we're paying for another couple that are having twins. We're paying for everything for the twins for the first year," said Ted Levitt. "Everyone that works for the foundation is a volunteer. There's no paid people. So every penny we raise goes to wounded soldiers, firemen, policemen. We have the event every year to raise money and to find people that are in need."
Saturday's ride will have a police escort and the Faces of Valor USA car will be in the lead.
"Saturday's event starts at the Outback on Forest Drive in Annapolis. Registration is from 9:30 until 10:30. The ride will be police escorted up Route 50 and through Annapolis, up Main Street and West Street and we'll end up at the Knights of Columbus," said Ted Levitt.
This year's ride has already raised about $20,000. There's still time to register for Saturday's ride or to make a donation.
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