Rusty Wallace Charity Ride set for Saturday
By Mike Steely
Senior Writer
steelym@knoxfocus.com
Saturday is going to be a very special day. Rusty Wallace Family of Dealerships’ Charity Ride benefiting Isaiah 117 House begins at 9 a.m. with possibly 200 motorcycles preparing for a ride from Knoxville to Morristown and back. The ride is to raise funds for the East Tennessee Isaiah 117 House, an organization that provides physical and emotional support in a safe, loving home for children waiting for foster placement.
General manager Chad Campbell said the May 17 event is the third charity ride for the Rusty Wallace Dealerships; similar events have benefited the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and the Boys and Girls Club of Anderson and Claiborne Counties. Campbell said that the first ride featured Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and award-winning NASCAR driver and multi-dealership owner Rusty Wallace.
Wallace will be on hand Saturday and take part in the event. Wallace also owns Southern Country Customs, which builds custom motorcycles, and marketing director Drake Meredith said Wallace is a long-time motorcycle enthusiast.
This year’s benefit is especially important to sales manager Mark Troutt, a father of adopted children. Troutt said Isaiah 117 House has 33 locations and the ride will pass through three of the communities the charity serves, Knox, Jefferson and Hamblen counties. Entry in the ride is $20, and each rider will receive a charity ride T-shirt.
The assembly starts at 9 a.m. at Rusty Wallace Honda on Callahan Road with “Kickstands Up” at 11 a.m. The ride will then proceed down I-75 to I-40 and east until Andrew Johnson Highway 11E. Escorts include the Knox County Sheriff’s Office’s Tango unit and police departments along the way.
“The Tango unit has been nothing but helpful,” Campbell told The Focus.
The ride proceeds to Rusty Wallace Toyota in West Morristown, where there’s a 30-minute break for refreshments before the ride back to Callahan Drive. Campbell said he expects the ride to take about 2.5 hours, and when the procession returns, there will be live music and free food.
Sponsors for the charity ride include Thor Reigns, Vaughn Pharmacy, First Century Bank, Lindsey’s Carpet and Flooring, Grosam EZ Town, IPS Agency, Enrichment Federal Credit Union and the Garza Law Firm.
More information on the Isaiah 117 Home organization can be found at https//Isaiah117house.com/knox-county-tn.
