Octorara townlively.com
JULY 13, 2022
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXII • NO 20
Truck Show To Benefit Mason Ellingsworth As part of an effort to help complete work on Mason’s dream truck, Before he was seriously injured in the Ellingsworth family will present a tractor accident in Cochranville, a truck show, featuring a display of Octorara Junior-Senior High School vehicles, food and beverages and student Mason Ellingsworth was live music, on Saturday, July 23, busy restoring a truck that he had from noon to 5 p.m. at Octorara saved for and purchased when he Junior-Senior High School. All vehicle owners are invited to particiturned 16. pate, and staging will begin at 11 a.m. “We are not doing any awards. It’s a gathering to benefit Mason. All the money raised will go toward rebuilding his truck for when he is able to drive again,” said Mason’s older sister, Liv Ellingsworth. “We (will) show trucks, tractors and big semitrucks.” She noted that classic cars are also welcome. A suggested donation will be received for admission to the show for both vehicle owners and spectators. “Those who want to be in the show should be The truck show will benefit Mason there by 11 a.m. so we can BY FRANCINE FULTON
Cpl. Brandon Hardy
Fundraising Motorcycle Ride To Honor Fallen Marine BY FRANCINE FULTON
t’s very bittersweet. It’s a day I wish I did not have to do, but the community support is amazing,” said Jill Hardy when describing the fundraising motorcycle ride that is held annually in honor of her son, Brandon, who was killed in action in 2006 in Iraq at the age of 25 while a member of the United States Marine Corps. “People are standing out in their yards and the fire whistles are blowing. It’s very tear-jerking. There is not a dry eye when we go through.” This year, the 17th annual Cpl. Brandon Hardy Memorial Ride will be held on Saturday, July 16, beginning and ending at the Gap Community Center, 835 Houston Run Drive, Gap. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m.; the motorcycle ride will depart promptly at 9 a.m. Coffee and doughnuts will be available at registration. The riders will return to Gap Community Center at approximately 11:30 a.m. to enjoy a barbecue chicken lunch. A donation fee will be charged per rider, which is payable on the day of the event. Preregistration is not required.
as tickets home to see family. The ride has grown through the years, and it annually raises between $8,000 and $10,000 for the scholarship fund. “The first year there were 80 bikes; now, we average 160 riders,” Hardy said. The charity also supports the Liberty War Bird Association, whose members will fly their Huey 823 helicopter over the memorial ride as they did in 2021. “They are group of Vietnam vets who purchased an old, out-of-service Vietnam helicopter and they renovated it,” Hardy explained. “They will try to meet us when we get to Brandon’s grave and escort us back to Houston Run, which is about 6 miles.” Brandon’s fellow service members travel from as far away as Spokane, Wash., where he was stationed, as well as Ohio, Pittsburgh and Tulsa, Okla., to participate. “They were with Brandon when he was killed,” Hardy said. “The ride is very cathartic. They talk, they laugh, have a good time and cry a little bit. It’s good for us and good for them.” For more information about Brandon and the ride, visit www.cplbrandonhardy.com.
Ellingsworth, who was injured in a tractor accident on June 1.
Finding A New Home For Dakota BY FRANCINE FULTON
In July of 2019, the Community Courier featured a story about Vietnam veteran David Tillman and his dog, Dakota, a 6-year-old Labrador and pit bull mix, who received assistance from Lucky Dawg Animal Rescue (LDAR). At the time, Tillman was living out of his car and in hotels. Tillman was able to qualify for the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Support Housing (HUD-VASH) See Dakota pg 2
See Truck Show pg 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE House Of Worship . . . . . . .4 Gap Jesus Rally Planned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Community Calendar . . . .5 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Business Directory . . . . . .8
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Nonriders are also invited to participate in the lunch only by paying the registration fee. The ride will travel through portions of Lancaster and Chester counties, including Intercourse, Compass, Quarryville, Little Britain and Parkesburg. “It’s a little over 50 miles,” Hardy noted. There will be a stop at Herr Foods, where water and snacks will be available. The ride will also travel past Brandon’s grave in Nickel Mines, where participants will drive slowly in tribute. All proceeds will benefit the Cpl. Brandon M. Hardy Memorial Scholarship Fund. Jill and her husband, Warren, started the ride and the scholarship fund as a way to honor their son, a graduate of the Octorara Area School District. “We give $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors who are entering the military,” said Hardy, who is the school board and superintendent secretary for the Octorara Area School District. “To date, we have awarded $138,000 in scholarships.” The scholarships are intended to finance the cost of items that are not provided by the military, such