by Kathleen Pulek

What do you get when

you take 100 bikers, 30
championship chili masters
and a sprinkling of zombies?
The answer is the perfect
recipe for Georges Ride
and Zombie Biker Chilifest,
held at the Middletown Elks
Lodge Sept. 21, an event
created from the tragedy of
a father losing a son.
George Ryans son nev-
er got to live out his dreams.
He died tragically just two
days after turning 19.
My son George went
to bed early on the morn-
ing of June 23, 2012, and
never woke up. I got the
news early that morning
the day that changed my life
foreverand then I heard
him being pronounced dead
a little later, said Ryan, a
Middletown resident.
George was an en-
ergetic and athletic young
man who had an interest
in trail riding and dirt rid-
ing very early on. He had a
couple of motorcycles that
were his favorite pastime.
He was working with me
at my environmental rm
part-time before he gradu-
ated from Wilcox Tech, and
continued to work with me
on and off.
Ryans life changed
again in May of 2013 when
he began working tirelessly
to help area seniors achieve
their dreams of pursuing a
higher education.
I wanted to give a
sizeable scholarship in my
sons name to Wilcox Tech
and I contacted friends,
family and business associ-
ates for donations. By the
time the awards night came
around six weeks later, their
generosity had raised over
$17,000.
I was able to give ev-
ery bit of it away to assist
various local seniors look-
ing to continue their edu-
cation. With the thank you
letters I received from both
students and parents, I knew
that I had found a purpose.
I started the George N.
Ryan Memorial Scholarship
Fund, a true 501(c)(3) chari-
table organization.
Ryan inaugurated
Georges Ride, a motor-
cycle run through the Con-
necticut countryside in Oc-
tober of 2013 to benet the
scholarship fund.
After the successful
spring 2014 Georges Ride,
Ryan emptied the scholar-
ship bank account to help
more deserving students at
various area high schools.
We tend to target the
B students who really have
a desire to further their edu-
cation but may not get to go
to school without help. Al-
Middletowns Community Newspaper
Volume 13, Number 10
October 2014
Logano Captures the Lobster
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Chronicled Chronicled
Down by the River
Dortha Cool Willetts has the lat-
est on Middletowns Riverfront
Development Plan.
Page 17
Trick or Treat
This Halloween season, visit one
of these spooky attractions on
Karen Riders list...if you dare.
Page 9
Page16
Continued on page 15
Georges Ride Brings Triumph from Tragedy
Michael Freedman, second from left, and some of the championship chili cooks. Photo: Dave Burnham.
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though we dont look the
other way for straight-A
students, they tend to have
many more scholarship op-
portunities, so we look for
volunteer work and com-
munity service, as well as
grades and nancial need
on the scholarship applica-
tions.
With the help of vari-
ous clubs and donors, the
latest edition of Georges
Ride ourished with the
addition of a Zombie Bik-
er Chilifest, designed as a
family fun day of activi-
ties.
Im thankful for
the collaboration that has
brought together the motor-
cycle community, Zombies
from the Trail of Terror in
Wallingford, an Interna-
tional Chili Society (ICS)
sanctioned chili cook-off
with championship cooks,
a hot wing death match
sponsored by Defcon Sauc-
es, music from national
recording artists Jeff Pitch-
ell and Texas Flood, who
have been with us since we
started, a pig roast, rafes
and more, including giving
away a 1964 classic Ford
Thunderbird.
Today wouldnt
be possible without the
help of folks like Michael
Freedman and the ICS chili
cooks, Middletowns own
Johnny Moore of Fat City
Customs, our foundation
vice president Kathy Thuer-
ling and the Middletown
Elks Lodge, which is again
hosting us, said Ryan.
In May I went to
Michael Freedmans ICS-
sanctioned New England
Regional Chili Cook Off in
Somers because I just had
to meet him. His one-day
event draws in between
9,000 to 10,000 people and
raises about $80,000, all of
which is given away to lo-
cal charities. Everything the
ICS does is for charity.
Michael jumped right
on board. Hes worked
as hard on this event as I
have. Weve had a thousand
emails back and forth and
500 calls to each other, said
Ryan. Hes the one who re-
ally handled the chili folks.
For us to have as many chili
cooks for a late-season event
like this is impressive.
The International Chili
Society--the largest food
contest, festival organiza-
tion in the world--is a non-
prot that sanctions world-
wide chili cook-offs with
judging and cooking rules
and regulations. ICS sanc-
tioned cook-off winners
qualify to compete for cash
prizes and awards at the
World Championship Chili
Cook-Off, held yearly in
October.
George approached
me about maybe having a
chili cook off in conjunc-
tion with Georges Ride,
explained Freedman. He
told me about his sons
tragic death and that he had
created a scholarship fund
in his sons name. The ICS
has thousands of members
worldwide who cook, judge
and have a good time in
helping raise needed funds
for worthwhile charities
and non-prots. How could
I and other ICS chili cooks
say no? We decided on a
date and the fun began.
George is a remark-
ably driven man. He goes
from before the sun comes
up until the sun is down for
several hours, Freedman
continued. Johnny Moore
knows everybody in town.
Hes the biggest help you
could ever imagine. His
daughter Mariah is a very
giving young woman who
has been a big help. Kathy
Thuerling handles the or-
ganizational and paperwork
side of the foundation,
which means the foundation
as a corporation doesnt ex-
ist without her. I gure Im
in the best of company.
Moore designed the ride
and led the bikers through
Haddam, across the bridge,
over to East Haddam, Sa-
lem and Colchester, down
Route16, over to Route 66
and Portland, through Main
Street Middletown and then
back here to the Elks Club.
We were gone about 90
minutes.
George and I met
three years ago and be-
came friends. When you
run across someone who is
good-natured, good-hearted
and so genuine, how could
you not want to help him,
said Moore.
Full Throttle Chili,
Dragon Fire Family,
Smokin Girls Chili, Stark
Raven Mad Chili (Agawam,
Mass.), Wicked Good
Chili from Swamp Donkey
Creations (Loudon, N.H.),
Freddy Beach Chili Co.
(Frederickton, NB, Canada)
and Reading (Mass.) Hot
Chili Peppers were among
the championship chili
cooks from all over New
England and the mid Atlan-
tic states as well as Canada
who competed in traditional
red chili (no beans), chili
verde (green chili) and salsa
sanctioned categories.
Every one of the chili
cooks is trying to win that
ticket to Octobers World
Championship Chili Cook
Off in Las Vegas, said Ja-
son Frechette of Dragon
Fire Family, who received a
second place for his salsa at
the Sept. 20 ICS Cook Off
in New Haven.
My goal is to reach the
six-gure dollar amount in
the next two years and ul-
timately, before my time is
done here, to be able to say
we were able to give away
a million dollars to seniors
at area high schools, said
Ryan. Were a true non-
prot. No one receives a
salary of any kind. We work
strictly on volunteers and
donated time and well re-
main that way as long as Im
alive. Thanks to the outpour-
ing of support Ive received
from so many people, I have
every intention of reaching
my goal.
The Chronicle - October 2014 15
Chronicled
Georges Ride Brings Triumph from Tragedy (Cont.)
Bikers, chili cooks and chili acionados packed the Middletown Elks Lodge parking lot. Photo: Dave Burnham.
A non-sanctioned Peoples Choice category featured the South Fire District Fireghters. Photo: Dave Burnham.
A zombie from the Trail of Terror in Wallingford. Photo: Dave Burnham.
Every Tuesday beginning September 30, 10:30-11:30am
Event organizer George Ryan. Photo: Dave Burnham.