The D&L Blog

Charles Hellings, more affectionately known around here as Chuck, takes membership with the D&L to extraordinary measures, most recently hosting the 5^th Annual Remembrance Ride on the trail. This year, his Remembrance Ride raised nearly $12,000 for the families of fallen service men and women by taking on a 75-mile bike ride on the D&L trail, starting at the Bethlehem SteelStacks.

Each year, the ride is hosted the weekend after Memorial Day to honor the fallen warriors and make an effort to support the loved ones they have left behind. To achieve just that, the funds raised went to benefit the Travis Manion Foundation—a local charity partner. Over the past four years, riders have been able to raise nearly $40,000. The ride has seen exponential growth, coming a long way from its inaugural ride which raised roughly $1,000.

Chuck, from childhood, has connected with the trails having grown up in a family of miners and then working on the railroad himself. Today, he’s a self-proclaimed history buff and avid cyclist and the trail proves central to those passions. From taking family bike rides along the gorge to hosting the ride, Chuck has engaged and engages others with the trail in the most admirable of ways.

“I like to expose riders to the history on the D&L, it provides a venue that ties history to current day events,” said Hellings. “Everything is something special.”

Beyond his membership, Chuck serves as an unofficial ambassador for the D&L through his own engagement with the trails and history. Find out more about the benefits of membership so that you can support the trail you love! By not only supporting us but also joining us in our efforts to connect people to industrial heritage, health, wellness, economic development, nature and environment we are strengthened and all the more motivated to continue our work.