September 6, 2013 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 45 Crew To Recreate McCusker Paddle To OC By SHAWN J. SOPER SPORTS EDITOR OCEAN CITY’S NEWEST SPORTS BAR! at 131st Street & Coastal Highway OCEAN CITY – A little over year since the tragic accident that claimed the life of a former long-time Ocean City local and popular Baltimore restaurateur, a group of Baltimore bartenders are carrying on his generous legacy next week by recreating his now famous kayak paddle from Charm City to Ocean City. Patrick M. “Scunny” McCusker died last August after colliding with an Ocean City bus while riding his bicycle along Coastal Highway in the area of 132nd Street. His passing sent shock waves through the communities on both sides of the Chesapeake, from his former longtime home in Ocean City to his childhood home in Baltimore, where he was an accomplished restaurateur first with his popular Nacho Mama’s in Canton and later his Mama’s on the Half Shell just a few doors down from the original location. More important, perhaps, than his accomplishments as a successful businessman were his vast charitable contributions and generous spirit, most notably to his favorite charity, the Believe in Tomorrow program in general and its Children’s House by the Sea location in Ocean City specifically. A few years back, McCusker paddled a kayak from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Ocean City, arriving at the annual Believe in Tomorrow benefit at Seacrets. He raised an estimated $100,000 for Believe in Tomorrow in the process and now, a little over one year after his untimely death in Ocean City last August, some of his colleagues and friends are preparing to pick up the mantle. Six Baltimore bartenders, includ- 33 Years Of Great Food, Great Drinks & Great Prices ... HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS BAR FOOD & DRINKS ALL DAY LONG Watch All Your MLB & NFL Action On Plenty Of Large HD TV’s With Plenty Of Seating. Plenty Of FREE Parking For J/R’s Customers SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 PATRICK M. “SCUNNY” McCUSKER ing Nacho Mama’s bartender and former Ocean City local “Delaware” Dave Powell, along with Joe Wandishin, Beth Roche, Jeff Mason, Jason Mislan and Steve Twilley are now preparing to recreate McCusker’s feat next week. Called the “Scunny Memorial Paddle,” the effort is billed a “six bartenders, 175 miles, one great guy, one great cause.” The crew will leave Baltimore on Monday, Sept. 9, and is hoping to reach Macky’s in Ocean City about five days later. The goal is to match McCusker’s fundraising efforts during his own kayak paddle from the Inner Harbor to Ocean City a few years back and could become an annual event. To learn more about the effort or to make a donation, visit www.believeintomorrow.org.scunnypaddle. The team will be feted with a send-off party at the Bond Street Social in Baltimore on Sunday with proceeds from that event also going to the charity. STEELERS VS TITANS 1 P.M. GIANTS VS COWBOYS 8 P.M. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 EAGLES JETS VS REDSKINS 7 P.M. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 VS PATRIOTS 8 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6: BOB HUGHES • 6 P.M. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: BALTIMORE BOB • 6 P.M. The Best Place for Ribs, Seafood & Steaks Full Dinner Menu In Our Spacious, Separate Dining Room Open Year Round! Open Monday-Saturday 4 p.m • Sunday At 12:30 p.m. 131st St. & Coastal Hwy. 410-250-3100 • www.jrsribs.com Carry-Out Available 410-250-3131 • Cold Beer • Bags Of Ice Legion Offers Marksmanship Course By SHAWN J. SOPER SPORTS EDITOR OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City American Legion Synepuxent Post 166 is seeking students ages 9-18 to participate in its annual Jr. Shooting Program, which gets underway later this month. The program is open to those students interested in marksmanship competition, gun safety and an Olympic-style experience. The fall session, which gets underway on Sept. 18, is a three-part program that combines a basic marksmanship course, qualification awards and an air rifle competition. Handicapped youth are also encouraged to participate. The basic marksmanship course is a comprehensive instruction package for the beginning shooter that has little or no marksmanship experience. Gun safety and marksmanship fundamentals are taught through a balanced mix of short lectures and discussions followed by hands-on activities. If the students are successful in completing the basic marksmanship course, they will graduate to the qualification awards. The National Rifle Association provides the marksmanship qualification course for air rifle for those who complete the basic marksmanship course. The course offers a personal skill development ladder where individuals work to achieve established performance standards. For achieving each level of success, a sew-on patch and certificate of achievement is presented. Those students who successfully navigate the basic marksmanship course and the marksmanship qualification course could become eligible to compete in the American Legion’s annual Junior Position Air Rifle Tournament. The tournament begins at the post level with local kids competing in the Ocean City Post 166 tournament. The next step is state and regional qualification tournaments with a chance to advance to the national championship at the U.S. Olympic Training facility in Colorado next summer. For more information or to sign up for the Sept. 18 basic marksmanship course, contact Post 166 Commander Lee McClaflin at 410-4302842 or email him at commander166@comcast.net.