MASSACHUSETTS: Motorcycle run honors troops, raises funds for military museum

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Motorcycle run honors troops, raises funds for military museum 
Motorcyclist head out on the inaugural Michael A. Powers Motorcycle Run Sunday in New Bedford. KRISTEN WALTHER/Standard-Times special
By Curt Brown cbrown@s-t.com August 15, 2011 12:00 AM Popular Today Barbershop closed amid suspected animal sacrificeNew Bedford man dies in New Jersey crashTabor fights to keep $1.5M from stock fraud scammer5 vie to succeed Lang as mayorMario R. SimasPaul E. LagasseNew Bedford man dies from injuries suffered in NJ accident NEW BEDFORD — About 50 riders raised money Sunday to support the Fort Taber-Fort Rodman Military Museum in the inaugural Michael A. Powers Motorcycle Run.
The motorcycle run, named for the 51-year-old Fairhaven motorcyclist who was killed in a suspected drunken driver accident this month, was also a tribute to U.S. servicemen past and present.
The run, which took off from Fort Taber in the South End and ended at the 6th Bristol Club in the North End, included stops to lay wreaths at war memorials in New Bedford and Freetown.
Jim Casey, the retired chief probation officer of Probate and Family Court and one of the organizers of the motorcycle run, said he thinks the inaugural event was a success, although he believes it will fall short of its goal of raising $5,000.
"The generosity of people has been out of this world," he said Sunday in an interview at the 6th Bristol Club.
"This will ride on forever in Mike Powers' name. I really think so. It will take on a life of its own," he said.
Powers, a U.S. Army veteran, was also an active member of the Fairhaven community.
Casey said he believes they will raise about $3,000 for the museum.
He said he believes the local military museum, which tells the stories of local servicemen's contributions to the nation's military history, is going to continue to grow in popularity.
"I think it's a magnificent place," he said. "I think in time it will be as recognized as the Whaling Museum."
Sgt. 1st Class James Couto, an Army recruiter in Dartmouth, said he heard lots of positive comments from riders. He said they especially liked the stops at different memorials throughout New Bedford to lay the wreaths honoring fallen servicemen.
Joe Langlois, president of the museum, was pleased with the fundraiser and said it will help improve the quality of the museum's presentations to the public.
"This, maybe, is our best fundraiser yet," he said.
He said the museum will use the money to purchase a PowerPoint presentation system and chairs for a lecture series, which should be starting later this or next year.
He said they currently have to borrow chairs whenever there is a large function at the museum.
Mayor Scott W. Lang, who sent the riders off from Fort Taber and later welcomed them at the 6th Bristol Club, was happy with how the event turned out.
"It's been a great day, a great tribute to the Powers family," he said.
Army Capt. Thomas R. Clark, a member of the city's School Committee, and his brother, Army Capt. Peter Clark, an Army Ranger and Green Beret who served two tours in Afghanistan, raised the U.S. flag outside the Ashley Boulevard club shortly after the motorcyclists arrived.
The ceremonies inside the club gave the community a chance to congratulate Thomas Clark, who was the commanding officer of the Massachusetts Army National Guard's 1st Batallion 181st Infantry Regiment's C Company, after his and his unit's return from Afghanistan last month. They had been overseas 10 months.
Clark, his voice cracking, told the people in the club that servicemen and women involved in this war are doing "great things" for this country.
Later, he said he is well accustomed to public speaking, but finds he becomes very emotional when he talks about the soldiers he served with in Afghanistan.