Karen Ruda Memorial Bike Run is a success

Date:  Sunday, August 5, 2012
Location:  Memorial Beach, Webster

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On a beautiful Sunday morning, friends of the late Karen Ruda gathered early at Memorial Beach to honor their friend and hopefully raise some funds for a worthy cause.

On Sunday August 5^th, members of the Webster Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary got together to sponsor the first ever Karen Ruda Memorial Bike Run to honor the memory of their friend and co-worker.  Karen was a long-time dispatcher for the Webster FD, and a single mom.  She was described by members of the department as their “mother hen,” who did her job exceptionally well and didn’t shy away from difficult tasks that were handed to her from time to time.  She really was the heart of the fire and rescue services.

The members of the Webster Brotherhood of Firefighters, a fraternal organization within the fire department, got together after Karen’s passing and decided to keep the promises they made to Karen; to honor her memory and help take care of her 12 year old daughter Haleigh.  They want to help save monies to send Haleigh on to college following her high school days, and provide her with a quality education to set her up for all the challenges of her life.

They decided to run two annual events, the bike run and a golf tournament in September.  The bike run was an idea that was brought forth by Webster Board of Health Agent Cathleen Liberty.  An avid motorcyclist, she told Brotherhood members that bike runs are routinely run as fundraisers, and even though she did not know Karen or her daughter, she felt it was the best way to pay tribute to an employee who contributed so much to the town she loved.  She also felt that Haleigh is in a difficult position, growing up without her mom.

About 50 bikes showed up at Memorial Beach to take part in the run on Sunday.  The ride rolled along the back roads of Massachusetts and Connecticut, with the ride terminating at the Sportsmen 200 Club on Sutton Road in Webster.  There, motorcyclist fed on hot dogs, hamburgers, and other summertime delicacies.  It was a great day to ride – and to remember a truly remarkable woman and help out her daughter.