Motorcycles ride for domestic violence awareness in Teddy Foltz Memorial Poker Run

 The 11th annual Teddy Foltz Memorial Poker Run rolled through Mahoning County on Sunday, raising funds and awareness for victims of domestic violence.

The event, which honors the life of Teddy Foltz and aims to protect children from abuse, saw motorcyclists depart from Papa's Sports Bar in Youngstown around 1 p.m.

All proceeds from the poker run will benefit Compass Sojourner House, an organization that provides shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Jennifer Gray of the Compass Sojourner House emphasized the community's role in the event. "It's the community that said they wanted to remember this story, remember this young man, and try to participate in never seeing this happen again," Gray said.

Teddy Foltz was just 14 years old when he was beaten to death at his family’s Struthers home in January 2013.

His mother, Shain Widdersheim, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for allowing her ex-boyfriend, Zaryl Bush, to kill her son and abuse her three young sons.

Bush is serving 33 years to life for murdering the teen.

Shain Widdersheim (L) Zaryl Bush (R)  

In a poignant moment during the bike run,  artist Ron Moore Jr. presented a portrait to the family of Patricia Hagerty, who was struck and killed while participating in the Foltz run in 2023.