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By LORIE JEWELL
The Tampa Tribune
NEW PORT RICHEY Mark Lunsford said he wanted a big turnout for Jessie’s 3rd Annual Memorial Ride today.
“And that’s what I got,” said Lunsford, as he scurried about the parking lot of Gulf Coast Harley-Davidson in New Port Richey, gathering registration forms, greeting fellow bikers with hugs and handshakes, posing for quick photos with well-wishers.
The ride, which runs from New Port Richey to Homosassa, raises money for the Jessica Marie Lunsford Foundation.
The organization is named for the third-grader who was abducted Feb. 23, 2005, from her Homosassa home, raped and killed. It lobbies states to pass tougher laws regulating sex offenders, helps authorities locate missing pedophiles and stages public-awareness events, such as today’s ride.
By 10 a.m., an hour before the ride was scheduled to begin, the Harley dealership’s parking lot on State Road 54 was full. The bikes kept rolling in, though, and were directed to a parking lot across the street.
Organizers estimated that about 3,000 riders took part in the event and that today’s group was much larger than in previous years. It took 20 minutes for both parking lots to empty out when the ride started, just after 11 a.m.
The ride ends up at the Harley-Davidson of Crystal River and took two hours last year, organizers said. Once there, riders will enjoy food, drinks and live music.
My deepest condolences to Mark. I am so sorry about what happen to his little girl. I read all the articles and my heart goes out to him. But she is his little angel now. I am also proud and I admire Mark for his dedication to bring awareness and create programs to make sick people like that rat that took his little girl pay for his sin. I have a 11 year old little girl and my heart goes out to him. But I also lost my sweet 17 year old son in a car accident two months ago and I feel so much pain, its unbearable. I wish people would also make demontrations to make teenagers more aware of the dangers of not wearing seat belts. My son probably would have had a better chance to survice had he been wearing a seatbelt. The heartache is so paintfully intense. We adults have to help kids be more aware of the dangers of not wearing seatbelts. Mark little Jessy is so so proud of you.
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Posted by Pam Davis, Wesley Chapel on 02/26 at 03:46 PM
I would like to thank all the people involved in making this event great - the law enforcement officers, the vol’s that worked hard, the Harley dealerships that were great, the vendors and other agencies that attended. It’s a shame that such a great event had to come from the death of a beautiful child. My heart goes out to Mark for his loss and for what he is doing for each and every one of our children and grandchildren all over. There were people along the ride from NPR to the end of the ride that were showing support. It really was an awesome ride!!!! I am looking for a bigger and better one next year. I would also like to say I am sorry for those that were on side streets that had to wait for all of us to ride past them but hope they understand what the cause was for.