BUCHANAN, Va. – A motorcycle ride for a cause. That’s what brought dozens of riders together for the third-annual Bryan K. Loan Memorial Ride in Buchanan.
Bryan was an Army Veteran and Roanoke County police officer.
“My son was one of the funniest people I ever knew. He had a good spirit too. He fought his demons, just like everybody else does. And he lost his battle,” Bryan’s dad, John Loan said.
Bryan died by suicide in June 2020.
Since then, John and the Loan family have kept Bryan’s memory alive by hosting a memorial ride each year.
The ride is the same route that John and Bryan took on their last ride together.
“It’s unbelievable the amount of support our family gets out here on these motorcycles. To ride a motorcycle is a brotherhood, whoever you meet, you never meet a stranger and for them to come together and support my family like this, it’s amazing,” John said.
The ride is also a fundraiser benefiting the American Legion Rider Scholarship Fund and Freedom Farms.
“It’s a great cause, Freedom Farms and everything. It’s just good to be here, good to help everybody, to support,” Vice President of the Mountain Thunder ABATE Chapter, Steve Foster said.
“I hope people see that, they’re not alone. If they have problems or issues, there are always people to contact whether they know them or not,” John said.