Motorcyclists attend religious tradition at American Legion Saturday
BUTLER TWP — Dozens of motorcyclists rode to the American Legion Post 778 Saturday morning, May 9, to get their bikes blessed by religious leaders in preparation for riding season.
The American Legion Riders of the post welcomed Lance Stoddart, who heads HonorBound Motorcycle Ministry out of South Butler Assembly of God, to perform the blessing, and share prayers with the bikers.
According to Stoddart, this now five-year tradition is built on not only preparing bikers for their upcoming rides, but to memorialize people who have died in motorcycle crashes.
“We're going to take a moment of silence for the three fatalities in the last three years,” he said prior to the blessing. “We have had family at the other ones because the motorcycle community is kind of tight.”
One of the people memorialized Saturday was Ron Litzinger, who died after a motorcycle crash March 29, 2025. The motorcyclists also remembered Tyler Coon, who died April 28, 2024, and Glen Dalton, who died April 14 due to a motorcycle crash.
Robert Shook, a motorcyclist from Butler, said the motorcyclist community of the area is good about remembering the people who died while riding their passion.
“We’re all brothers and sisters in life, so it’s a loss,” Shook said.
Chip Hill, treasurer of the American Legion Riders, knew Litzinger, and said the bike blessing is a good time to honor his memory.
“Very good friends with Ron Litzinger, rode with him various times,” Hill said. “Ron was a great guy, I’ll miss him forever.”
In addition to the blessing, the gathering Saturday morning was a chance for motorcyclists to urge safety among riders, as well as the people they are sharing the road with. According to Hill, the American Legion Riders have a system of riding that helps keep people in the cohort safe on the road. Motorists may notice they ride in formations of motorcycles on the road this spring and summer — they very well may be American Legion Riders.
“You’re going to ride in a constructed way, we ride in formation,” Hill said of the American Legion Riders. “We dictate what people do in what situation, and you learn this so it keeps you safer on the road.”
Hill said the American Legion Post 778 has about 700 veterans who are members, and a few more than 50 are motorcyclists. He said the organization, as well as its sons organization and its auxiliary, raise up to $17,000 a year for area veterans organizations — so the group is not just about riding.
And while giving back is a large part of the American Legion Riders’ mission, Hill emphasized that it’s also about helping people follow their love of motorcycle riding in a safe way. He advised motorcyclists to never forget to do “pre-ride checks” before kicking one leg over the seat and riding away on a journey of any kind. You never know when you’ll notice a part of the bike in need of a little maintenance, which could save your life or the life of a passenger or fellow traveler.
“Awareness is everything, but with a lot of inexperienced riders, you’ve got to do the pre-ride,” Hill said. “Do a pre-ride inspection on your motorcycle. Tire pressure is paramount.”
After leading the group in prayer, Stoddart performed a general blessing on all the motorcycles in attendance, and made himself available for individual blessings for anyone who wanted that personal touch. They event concluded with fellowship time, complete with coffee and hot dogs, prepared by the auxiliary members of the post.
