Motorcycle Rally to Honor Fallen Heroes

By Christina Georgiou

From left to right, Matt Vangeli, co-owner of Brassknuckles
Automotive and Cycles, Tommy Urglavitch, manager of
Drinky's, William Filbert, co-owner of Brassknuckles
Automotive and Cycles, and Greg Melhem, owner of Drinky's
talk about the Fallen Heroes Run, set for Saturday, Sept. 21
at a press conference in Easton's City Hall on Wednesday.

Hundreds of motorcyclists are expected to participate in a rally, "Fallen Heroes Run", set for Saturday, September 21 to honor two police officers who died on duty, it was announced Wednesday.

Easton pub Drinky's, which is holding the Downtown Skate Jam next weekend, will also be sponsoring this more somber event to remember the lives of Joe Wargo and Brad Fox, along with Brassknuckle Automotive and Cycles of Palmer Township.

Tommy Urglavitch, Drinky's manager, said the day will begin on Larry Holmes Drive with a ride that will be escorted by Easton Police. The ride concludes in Centre Square, and a buffet and party to celebrate the lives of the two officer will be held at Drinky's.

Riders can take part for $10, while passengers are $5. Admission to the buffet after the ride is $5, with a cash bar. Registration runs from 10 to 11:45 a.m., and the ride begins at 12:15 p.m.

In case of rain, the event will be postponed and held on Sunday, September 22, organizers said.

Wargo was a Mount Arlington, NJ patrolman who lived in Phillipsburg, NJ. He was killed in October of 2011 when a drunk driver smashed into his marked police car.

Fox, who was a Plymouth Township police officer in Montgomery County, was shot and killed in the line of duty by a car thief in September of 2012.

Both men were known for their charity, raising money for Toys for Tots, the Special Olympics, and other causes, Urglavitch said.

"Joe Wargo was my best friend," he added. "We just want to raise awareness that these people put on a badge...and they don't always come home."

Money raised through the Fallen Heroes Run was set be donated to the families of both officers, but the police officers' widows have both chosen to donated the money to two police charities--the Garden State Concerns of Police Survivors and the PA K9 Assistance Program.

Mayor Sal Panto praised the event, and noted it is set to take place on what may be the "busiest weekend of the year". Also scheduled to take place that day is the Riverside Festival of the Arts, the annual Easton Farmers' Market Chili Fest, and Lafayette Day. He added that the organizers of all three events have voiced support for the Fallen Heroes Run.

"Everybody's happy with that," he said, adding, "When you love a loved one like that, you leave behind family. It's really the family that sacrifices."

For more information about the Fallen Heroes Run, call Brassknuckles Cycles at 610-462-2090.