8th Annual LEW’s CREW Ride to End Veteran & First Responder Suicide
(All are welcome to attend the event — motorcycles only in the ride.)
Join us at Classic Harley-Davidson for the 8th Annual LEW’s CREW Ride as we come together to raise awareness and help combat suicide among our Veterans and First Responders.
This powerful day of unity, riding, remembrance, and support will feature an escorted 52-mile motorcycle ride, live music from Ricky and Ricardos, food, tons of raffles, vendors, bike show, Pagoda City Brewery, axe throwing, and more — all benefiting an incredible cause.
STAGING & REGISTRATION 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM at Classic Harley-Davidson
Enjoy Wawa coffee during morning staging before the escorted ride for motorcycles departs.
PRE-REGISTRATION: $25 before June 14, 2026(Includes Ride, Meal & Event T-Shirt)
REGULAR REGISTRATION: $20 from June 15 – July 11(Includes Ride & Meal — No Shirt)
BIKE SHOW Registration: $5 Four Prize Categories!
Stick around after the ride for food, music, raffles, vendors, and great camaraderie.
Live music performance by Ricky and The Ricardos from 11:00 – 2:00pm.
Special thanks to organizations planning to attend, including: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Mission 22, Piercing by Vee, Pagoda City Brewery.
This ride is more than motorcycles — it’s about bringing people together, supporting mental health awareness, honoring those we’ve lost, and standing beside those still fighting.Ride with purpose. Ride for awareness. Ride for our heroes.
Background on the Lew’s Crew foundation for Veteran and First Responder Suicide awareness.
Letter from Bill Farmer (Founder of Lew’s Crew):
Lewis Gardner III and I served together in the Marine Corps for a few years in the same Platoon. I ended up becoming his superior officer as a Sergeant while he was a Corporal. I stayed in for 8 years, Lew did 6 years. He was always a supporter of “IGY6” (I've Got Your 6), a Veteran suicide awareness organization. We talked about our experiences with depression and alcohol addiction and became very good friends.
A little less than a year after I was discharged, my family and I were on vacation. My wife received a phone call and told me that I needed to pull over so she could tell me what the phone call was about. She said “Lew Gardner is dead, he shot himself.” I didn't believe it at first, I had just spoken to him a few days before about a Blink 182 concert that he was going to. But my wife assured me that it was true, he committed suicide at home.
I was broken. I didn't know what to do other than getting out of my truck. I started walking and just started screaming on the side of the road. I didn't want it to be true. After my family consoled me enough to drive back to the hotel, I reached out to Gardner's family to try to help.
I ended up organizing the funeral and raised over $5k on GoFundMe to pay for the services so his family didn't have any additional burdens. Our Platoon came together. We held Marine Corps Honor Guard and presented his parents with a plaque of Gardner to honor him. His parents invited me back to their home where his father and I went to the bedroom where Lew took his life. The open gun safe, the ripped-up carpet, triggered something between us.
We became very close, and I started a ride in memory of his family and our Platoon on Lew's next birthday, they've even attended my wedding. On the first ride there were 20 people and 12 motorcycles. All the guys from our Platoon started talking about making an event out of this to help others before it's too late. We started attending “Walks out of the Darkness” for Suicide awareness where Lew's family came up with the name "Lew’s Crew" and made some shirts.
Since then, I've known other local first responders from work and my Marine Corps Unit that have committed suicide. That’s when I decided that something more needed to happen. We've honored those friends each year that gave in to their demons.
We've been able to raise around $15k over the past 6 years to donate to different organizations with the same cause such as Till Valhalla Project, Mission 22, and The Code Green Campaign. As fulfilling as that was to honor those we lost, I still felt like I wanted to do more regarding those in need in our community. So, I decided to take the long, difficult road of becoming a 501c3 Non-Profit to truly change the lives of Veterans and First Responders within the Reading/ Berks County area.
Thankfully I've been able to link up with amazing businesses and organizations to really bring this cause to light.
For this year’s ride, we're expecting well over 100 people in attendance and about 80 motorcycles, if not more. I hope that many others also attend. Again, it's for an amazing cause that benefits local veterans and first responders. AND it only costs $20 to participate in the ride, which includes food and a drink, live music from Ricky and the Ricardos, great raffles and a whole lot more at Classic Harley-Davidson.
As for me, I served 8 years in the United States Marine Corps and was discharged as a Sergeant. I've been an EMT for almost 10 years and have been a firefighter for over 20 years. I'm currently the Ladder 3 Tillerman on the A Platoon for the Reading Fire Department. The terrible things that I've seen and experienced have made me realize that we've all experienced depression, PTSD, and thoughts of suicide in some way, and I'm here to help with that. I've attempted to take my life twice and have dealt with alcoholism myself, so I can relate to many people experiencing the same.
This is a cause that hits home for so many and I want to help as many as I can. That's why this year's proceeds are going to create a "bank" for City of Reading First Responders to utilize and to encourage them to get help. This "bank" will cover as many co-pays as possible so that there is no financial burden on them to utilize these mental health services.
Thank you so much for helping Lew’s Crew get the word out and help these men and women when they need it the most.