Multiple Sclerosis Society Glimcher Keystone Country Ride

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Sixteen amateur radio operators and some family members provided essential communications for the annual Multiple Sclerosis Society Glimcher Keystone Country Ride on June 21 and 22, 2025.  The Saturday and Sunday event features two seventy five mile courses each day plus a couple shorter versions of the ride. That’s a total of 150 miles.  The ride starts and ends at the Penn Stater Hotel in State College each day.  The Saturday ride loops south through Centre, Blair, and Huntingdon counties.  The Sunday ride loops north Centre and Clinton Counties. A predicted heat wave on Sunday was a concern with temperatures and the heat index expected to be around 100°.

As it turned out the ride went very well with only a few mechanical problems and some riders who felt it better to be transported in by a SAG (Support and Gear) vehicle before they became exhausted or suffered the effects of the heat on Sunday.  Temperatures hit 94° during Sunday’s ride but there were no heat related illnesses.

Among amateurs in the SAG vehicles, at the aid stations, and Incident Communications Command (ICC) at the Penn Stater all of these were handled quickly without problems.  The ICC operated out of the Centre Region/Centre County Mobile Command Vehicle (MCV).  It was on loan for this event.  An amateur radio operator shadowed the MS Incident Commander so we always had contact with her for decisions and information relay to the field units. The MCV is an invaluable resource for ARES.

The SAG units, Rover 1, and the Supply Truck were equipped with APRS beacons so the ICC could easily locate them on an APRSIS/32 map.  The ICC could see where they were in real time for decisions on who to send to incidents.  Unfortunately on Sunday we lost APRS coverage on the northern end of the ride because there appear to be no APRS digipeaters or Internet gateways in that area.

The APRSIS/32 mapping capabilities were developed by Drew, KA3EJV, and used over the past several years.

Amateur radio operators participating were:

  • Craig Miller, K3OOL, Centre County
  • Daniel Muthler, K9SDW, Centre County
  • Thomas Neff, W3TRN, Centre County
  • Carmine Prestia, K3CWP, Centre County
  • Elaine Prestia, K3ERP, Centre County, and Andrew Prestia
  • Jim Rayburn, W3JIM, North Carolina, and family
  • Lloyd Roach, K3QNT, Bedford County
  • Ruth Tillman, KC3AF, Centre County
  • Gordon Vanauken, KC0QJX, Centre County
  • Ryan Vanauken, KB3VDG, Centre County
  • Greg Guise, K3HOT, Centre County
  • Eric Hilbert, KE3TJ, Blair County
  • Lisa Keller, N3WMH, Centre County, and Chris Keller
  • Richard Kucharik, KE3HG, Montgomery County, and Sue Kurchark
  • William McDevitt, W3WBM, Venango County
  • Drew McGhee, KA3EJV, Blair County

These operators donated around 275 hours of their time this weekend and did an excellent job providing communications.  As well as providing public service this event puts amateur radio in a positive light.  Many of the riders personally thanked hams when they met them in the field or at ride events.

Here are some photos taken by Elaine, K3ERP, while working with Andrew Prestia on the Supply Truck.

 

Andrew and Elaine, K3ERP, take a break while delivering supplies to an aid station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew and Greg, K3HOT, talking while Greg is enroute to the Aaronsburg aid station.  Greg was detailed there in the middle of Sunday’s ride.  Originally detailed to the ICC, we needed Greg to provide coverage in Aaronsburg until it closed. Drew, KA3EJV, worked in the ICC until Greg returned.

 

 

Jim, W3JIM, and his wife and son at State College Design and Construction aid station. Two MS volunteers are waving at us in the background.

Jim traveled to longest of any ham in the event. Formerly a resident here and member of Nittany Amateur Radio Club he now lives in North Carolina.  He estimated his one way trip was over 500 miles. Jim makes this trip nearly every year to help out.

 

 

 

Ryan, KB3VDG, and his Dad, Gordon, KC0QJF, talking with an MS Volunteer at Spring Mills Fish and Game aid station.  Ryan and Gordon have volunteered together for several years now.

 

 

 

 

 

Eric, KE3TJ, at the Penn’s Prairie aid station on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craig, K3OOL, with his handheld and Andrew with Jamie and Ms. Holt taking a break.  The Holts are the parents of race director/IC Brittany Holt. She recruited most of her family to help.  We are trying to convince Jamie to get an amateur radio license.