JANESVILLE — What started as a final wish has become an annual event to honor a brother and support veterans. Larry’s “Last Ride” is happening for the sixth year on Saturday, Aug. 9, bringing together motorcycle enthusiasts to raise money for Hogs for Heroes.
Julie Davis, Larry Bassett’s sister, organizes the event. Bassett, whose biker name was “Wishbone,” passed away from liver cancer in 2020 at the age of 53.
He had been taken off the transplant list and was given six months to a year to live. He asked his sister to do “one last ride” for him which he died very shortly before conducting, a wish that has since become an annual tribute.
The ride starts and ends at the Janesville Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1015 Center Ave.
Registration begins at noon, and kickstands are up at 1 p.m. The cost is $15 per rider, $20 for couples, and $5 for veterans, with a veteran’s passenger riding for free.
The Ride ItselfThe group will leave the VFW at 1 p.m. and make stops at several locations before returning for dinner and raffles.
The first stop is JR’s Charley Bluff in Milton, where pulled pork sandwiches will be served. The owner, a friend of the family, donates the proceeds from the $10 plates.
From there, the group will ride to Farmers Inn Tavern in Darien and then to Rock’n Rogers in Clinton.
The ride concludes back at the VFW, where the auxiliary ladies will have brats, beans, and potato salad waiting. This dinner is included in the cost of the ride.
The event also features a 50/50 raffle and a basket raffle with items donated by local businesses and friends. Last year, the event raised approximately $5,600.
Supporting Our VeteransThe money raised from the ride goes to Hogs for Heroes, a foundation that supports local veterans, .
Davis’s and Bassett’s biological father was a Vietnam veteran who died by suicide, which makes this cause particularly meaningful for her.
Davis said her favorite part of the event is when everyone gathers before the ride at the VFW, and the Star-Spangled Banner plays. “We all stand outside, we look at the flags, we put our hands on our hearts and we all sing to it. It’s just amazing,” she said.
She also becomes emotional seeing the long line of Harley-Davidsons following her, knowing they are all there to honor her brother and the veterans he so admired. “My brother would be so happy,” she said.
Davis plans to continue organizing Larry’s Last Ride for as long as she can, keeping his name alive and doing good for a cause he cared about deeply.
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