Poker Run to benefit Marine wounded in Iraq

The Friends of The Sgt. Eddie Ryan Fund will sponsor a Poker Run beginning with registration at 1 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the Brass Monkey, Bordentown Avenue, Sayreville. Additional stops in Sayreville will include Connie's Bar and Grill, Route 35; The Road House, Route 9 south; and Pat's Pub, Washington Road.

The final destination will be American Legion Post No. 177, Old Bridge. The event will conclude at 7 p.m.

Highlights will include a barbecue and entertainment featuring Spike Ivory and Friends, raffles, prizes and 50/50s at the American Legion hall.

Cost is $15 per rider for Poker Run participants, $10 per person to attend the barbecue and concert only. Children under age 12 will be admitted free of charge.

Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan was shot in the head multiple times while on a rooftop in Al Quaim, Iraq, on April 13, 2005. His wounds were severe, and Ryan was not expected to survive.

Miraculously, only three and a half weeks after the shooting, he shed the life-support system he was expected to be dependent upon for the rest of his life.

Today, he has defied the odds and returned home after a year-and-a-half hospital/rehabilitation stay. The Ryan family, however, now faces new challenges. The family's Ellenville, N.Y., home is not designed to accommodate the wounded Marine and his wheelchair and will require major renovations in order to meet his needs.

The public is invited to support The Sgt. Eddie Ryan Fund by taking part in the Poker Run or by making a tax-deductible contribution payable to The Sgt. Eddie Ryan Fund.

For more information on Sgt. Ryan, log on to www.helpeddieryan.com.

For more information on the fundraiser, call Jeri Kopin at (732) 259-0720 or Felicia Montefore at (732) 513-4342.