Shady Brady Memorial Ride

With sunny skies and warm weather, the 2022 Annual Shady Brady Memorial Ride saw 64 riders meet up at Sparta Fire Station, on Sept. 17, as they rode in honor of the fallen firefighters across the state of Tennessee.

Each of Tennessee’s 247 fallen firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty were honored as riders carried tags with the names of individual firefighters as they made the ride from Sparta to Lynchburg and on to Bell Buckle where they would lay wreaths at the state memorial in honor of the fallen heroes.

In addition to the tags for the fallen heroes, each rider received a “Shady Brady” patch for their bike jacket and another small patch designating the year that they were riding. Riders have been collecting the annual patches since 2015 when the ride began, initiated by Sparta Fire Department Capt. Barry Brady, who has since passed away.

Each year, in addition to patches and tags for fallen firefighters, riders receive a coin for the year’s challenge. This year, the Tennessee Firemen’s Association took over the management of the ride on the request of the Brady family, and they chose to honor Barry Brady and recognize the Barry Brady Act which, in 2019, was signed into law to recognize cancers that can be thought to have been acquired during the act of serving as a firefighter and seeks to cover the medical costs for those firefighters by that presumption.

The ride also serves as a fundraiser, and the 2022 Shady Brady Memorial Ride raised $6,200 for the Tennessee Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial. More funds are expected to come in over the next two months as additional 2022 coins are sold and organizers expect this year’s total to reach $8,000.

“The Brady family would like to thank Sparta Fire Chief Kirk Young as well as all the Sparta Fire Department for their help in organizing this annual event,” Dawn Brady, Barry’s widow, said. “And, of course, thank you to all of the riders and those that choose to support this effort year after year. We are honored by the outpouring of love and the desire to keep Barry’s memory and passion for his fellow firefighters alive.”