The Pennsylvania Keystone Chapter of The National Multiple Sclerosis Society completed another Glimcher Keystone Country Ride on July 15th and 16th through Centre, Clinton, Huntingdon, and Blair Counties in Central Pennsylvania.  The ride is composed of two seventy five mile loops on each day.  It starts at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College and goes south then back.  On day two it goes north then back to the Penn Stater.  About 100 riders participated in the event to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis research and support for victims of the disease.  The ride has been conducted for 20+ years and one rider and his team, Rob Glimcher, has raised more than $2 million for the event during that time.

Amateur radio operators along with MS staff and a host of other volunteers made the ride possible by organizing a safe but challenging route for the riders.  There were rest stops along the way with light food and drink as well as two repair stations to assist riders with mechanical problems.

Several operators provided APRS beaconing for SAG vehicles along with voice communications.  Other operators provided voice communications with Incident Communications Command at the Penn Stater operating out of the Centre Region Mobile Command Van.  GMRS radios provided a ready link with MS officials remaining at the Penn Stater for information and decisions about the race.

Recruiting and planning for the event starts early in the year.  Drew, KA3EJV, has done yeoman work drawing up Incident Command System documents for Amateur Radio, or more accurately under ICS guidelines, The Communications Unit.  Amateur Radio volunteers came from six Pennsylvania counties and Maryland.

The ride went very well with only a few minor injuries and some mechanical failures.  All of which the Communications Unit handled.  Amateur radio volunteers provided 226 hours of service to the ride and that does not count the hours of planning and preparation prior to the event.

Special thanks from Centre County ARES to those amateurs who gave their time and talent to the event, to the MS Society for inviting us to participate, and to the Centre Region for loaning us the Mobile Command Van.

Amateur radio participants for 2023 by County or state.

Centre:

Decapria, David, K3DWD
Guise, Gregory, K3HOT
Maggi, Chuck, N3CRM
McKissick, Chad, K3CLM
Muthler, Dan, K9SDW
Prestia, Carmine, K3CWP
Prestia, Elaine, K3ERP
Prestia, Andrew
Vanauken, Gordon, KC0QJX
Vanauken, Ryan, KB3VDG

Cambria:

Burkett, Bob, KF3BY*
Madison, Greg*

* Provided a QRS unit for medical calls.

Blair:

Harchak, Frank “Robin”, W3IWJ
McGhee, Drew, KA3EJV

Dauphin:

Landry, Rina, KC3OPJ
Landry, Todd, KC3LYV

Montgomery:

Kucharik, Rich, KE3HG and wife.

Venango:

McDevitt, William, W3WBM

Maryland:

Noll, Jason, KC3FET

by Carmine W. Prestia, Jr., K3CWP, EC