No. 18 Vol. 6
My Life Publications • 1-800-691-7549
June 2022
Morristown Man Bikes Cross Country in Memory of Son
F
By Steve Sears or 65-year-old Kevin McNally, it’s the satisfaction of a lifelong goal. He’s always wanted to bike across the United States, and now he has extra help in doing it. “The funeral home produced it,” he says of a prayer card which has a photo of his late son, Brian. “It’s his Marine picture on one side of it, and a phrase on the backside of it. I have that with me at all times, I have it in my pocket right now, and I’ve had it pretty much every day since May 20, 2018.” Brian McNally, a New Jersey State Trooper and former Captain in the United States Marine Corps, was tragically killed in a traffic accident on Route 78 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. “I wear his dog tag,” his father adds, “and on the bike I have a decal. It has on one side the Marine emblem, on the other side is the New Jersey State Police emblem, and it has on top, ‘Capt. Brian McNally.’ It’s on the post that goes from the seat to the handlebar, so when I look down, I know Brian’s with me the whole time.” McNally is in the process of biking 50 days and 3,396 miles across our land in memory of his son, raising funds for the Capt. Brian J. McNally USMC Scholarship, which is administered by the Morris Educational Foundation. The scholarship is for Morristown High School seniors who will pursue a first responder related degree in college. McNally began his ride on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, in Manhattan Beach, California, and will finish his trip in early July near Boston, Massachusetts. When he departed Manhattan Beach, he said farewell to the west coast by dipping his rear tire into the Pacific Ocean; when he finishes his ride, the front tire of his bike will greet the Atlantic. “I had this interest, this itch I call it, long before Brian passed,” McNally says of his quest. “I ran a bunch of marathons, and as I got older, I ran less and started biking probably about 15 to 17 years ago, and then started biking longer distances. I’ve done about six 100-mile bike rides, 100 miles in one day. And I got the itch that, when I retired, maybe this is something I wanted to do. And I’m doing it in a unique way: to see the country
Capt. Brian J. McNally USMC. Photos courtesy of the Morris Educational Foundation.
and meet different people, and at the same time, riding my bike.” McNally is following a safe cross-country journey outlined by Arizona-based CrossRoads Cycling Adventures, who are also providing support, hotel stops, meals, and a mechanic if needed. McNally, who along with his wife, Barbara, also has a daughter, Maureen, speaks about his late son. “You can read his bio and you pick up volunteerism, and he was an outdoorsy kind of person,” McNally says. “He was always active. At age 14 or 15 he was a certified EMT, a firefighter at 16 or 17, and he had I’d say a love for helping people. He
Kevin McNally and his “partner” for their 3,396-mile bike ride.
and I climbed Mount Rainier back when he was a freshman in college.” McNally had trained in a variety of ways for his ride. From January 1 to late April, he had logged over 4,000 combined biking miles in Florida and New Jersey, and in the Morristown area had pedaled the paths of Saint Elizabeth’s College and Jockey Hollow, while also walking the hills of the latter and Fort Nonsense while wearing a 30-pound weighted vest. McNally, a member of the Greater Morristown YMCA, would go to that
facility as well to lift weights to build additional stamina in his legs. Kevin McNally has a takeaway lesson from his experience of losing his son. “Don’t take tomorrow for granted. Not just for me, but for the whole family, the people that you’re close to. That’s the one thing. Make sure you communicate your feelings to your family.” To follow Kevin’s progress, visit www.kevinmcbikesamerica.blogspot.com. If you wish to donate, visit www.morrisedfoundation. org/ways-to-give/kevin-bikes-america.html.
If you are a business owner and you read this ad,
IMAGINE HOW MANY POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS ARE READING IT TOO? Local Print is Alive and Well and Growing!! The Most read local papers! AND WE HAVE THE MOST COVERAGE
With over 128,000 free circulation and a 73% + readership you will get your message out with our local publications.
Local News, Local Events, Local Everything Contact Joe Nicastro - joe@mylifepublications.com