On Sunday April 18, 2010 members of the Red Knights Pa2 traveled to Bob Evens restaurant on Route 100 in Exton, Pa. for the annual Memorial Ride for Stretch.
William Smaltz known to everyone as Stretch was an Icon in the motorcycle community for many, many years. Stretch was the proud owner of Smaltz's Harley Davidson in Eagle, Pennsylvania. As owner he rode his Harley to dealership meetings all over the country. For 17 years he rode with more than 4,000 other motorcyclists in the annual Philadelphia Ride for Freedom he helped organize to support POWs and MIAs. In October 2006, he organized a ride to benefit the victims of the Amish schoolhouse shootings in Nickel Mines. Approximately $42,000 was raised, his family said. He was past president of the Eastern Harley-Davidson Dealer Association.
On April 18, 2008 William "Stretch" Smaltz subsided to a long battle with cancer.
Stretches family have organized this Memorial Ride the past two years meeting at the Bob Evens in Exton and taking a 40 Mile or so police escorted ride to Skippack Pa. where it ended with a grave side service with the Smaltz family.
At the grave side his family and friend spoke of their experiences over the many years with stretch. They spoke of his love for motorcycles and the people that rode them, they also spoke of his love for horses and how he rescued them. The words that were commonly heard from by everyone were "He was a kind and loving man and there was not a bad bone his body".
The Red Knights would like to thank the Smaltz family for organizing this ride in Stretch's memory and in his word "Wow What A Ride".
