lititzbmx-docs

26.0053 — Racers Against Drugs “Harry Leary” Plaque

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Artifact visual — original source, unchanged

26.0053 — Racers Against Drugs "Harry Leary" Plaque

Published historical context

Racers Against Drugs “Harry Leary” Plaque

This commemorative plaque was awarded to Harry Leary as part of the Racers Against Drugs (RAD) initiative, a program within the BMX community that promoted drug-free lifestyles through youth racing and rider advocacy.

The plaque holds particular significance within the Lititz BMX Archive because it was recovered directly from Harry Leary’s original personal storage locker, providing strong provenance linking the item directly to the rider himself. It was acquired alongside a 24-inch Diamondback prototype frame, helping authenticate the origins of that rare artifact and confirming its connection to Leary.

During the growth of BMX racing in the 1980s and 1990s, community-driven programs like Racers Against Drugs became an important part of the sport’s outreach to young riders. Professional racers frequently supported these initiatives by participating in events, appearances, and promotional efforts aimed at encouraging healthy lifestyles through BMX participation.

Artifacts such as this plaque illustrate the broader role BMX riders played within their communities, highlighting how influential figures like Harry Leary contributed not only to the competitive side of the sport but also to its positive cultural impact.

Artifact record

Field Published record
Artifact ID 26.0053
Artifact name Racers Against Drugs “Harry Leary” Plaque
Category Frames
Source Online
Collection Lititz BMX Archive
Location Lititz, Pennsylvania
Source evidence status original_page_capture

Original source record

The primary original source image is displayed above exactly as stored. No crop, composite, enhancement, generated replacement, or other image transformation has been applied.

Source trail

Preservation clarifications

The published page categorizes this plaque as “Frames.” The source wording is preserved and documented rather than silently normalized.

Preservation note

This record preserves the artifact ID, published wording, live source address, and original source imagery without silently correcting source inconsistencies. Every displayed image in this record is an unchanged original source file. This checkpoint covers 26.0001 through 26.0101.


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