CPA/Biker Kearney of Malin Bergquist Leads "Let's Roll Ride to Shanksville" to Benefit Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign

"Let's Ride!" -- the motorcycle procession from Erie to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, led in part by Clarence and Sandy Kearney, raising funds for the Flight 93 national memorial.

Clarence W. Kearney, a CPA and partner with the accounting firm of Malin Bergquist, and a Harley-owning motorcycle enthusiast who chairs Erie’s “Roar on the Shore,” helped lead the “Let’s Roll Ride to Shanksville” on Sept. 10-11, 2011 to benefit the Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign.

Hosted by the Manufacturer & Business Association of Erie, the Ride to Shanksville was a convergence of hundreds of motorcyclists in Shanksville from five “flight paths” – Erie, Pittsburgh/ Cranberry Township, Meadville/ Conneaut Lake, Williamsport and Pottsville – to mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States. The event aimed to generate $360,000 by asking motorcyclists to take part from across the state at a cost of $1,000 per biker.  Each bike was be adorned with a memorial flag bearing the name of one of the 40 heroes of Flight 93, and riders received an exclusive patch and t-shirt bearing the official “Let’s Roll: Flight 93 Memorial Ride” design.

Sandra and Clarence Kearney with country music star Darryl Worley, who performed "Have You Forgotten"

Kearney co-founded Roar on the Shore in 2007.  Since then, it has become the nation’s fastest growing free bike rallies in the nation, attracting more than 50,000 bikers and enthusiasts, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, and infusing tens of million dollars into Erie’s economy.

Kearney’s interest in biking for charity has drawn public recognition from the following:

• The Journal of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants said that “contrary to the stereotype, he is not a rough-and-rugged, rebellious biker. Instead, he’s taken his love of motorcycles … and applied it toward endeavors benefiting his local community.” [ more ]
• In an interview with Erie Business Magazine, Kearney said the Ride to Shanksville “provides another way for the biker community to show their patriotism and pride for the passengers and crew of Flight 93 and to honor their selfless act of defiance against the terrorists.” [ more ]  
• On Mutual of Omaha’s “Aha Moment” series on YouTube, Kearney comments that Roar is purely a charitable organization putting on a great time for motorcycle enthusiasts and their friends while raising money for a worthwhile cause. [ more ]

Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge celebrates Roar on the Shore's check for $250,000, the single largest amount received for the memorial.