President’s Message – June 2024

Well, Run 2024 is in the books and from all indicators we see, it was quite a year!! Now, those long, hot summer days have kicked in, bringing perfect weather for outdoor activities. Please be safe as you enjoy the outdoors and just like on the Run – STAY HYDRATED! Heat stroke and dehydration are serious medical emergencies, but prevention will ensure they don’t ruin your summer!

As happens each year, the Run 2025 RCs were nominated by their respective RCs, the Board met, voted and we are pleased to announce our Run For The Wall XXXV RCs are: Kirk “Pretty Boy” Olson for Central. Eric “Pitch” Fort for Midway, Ken “Radar” Ley for Southern and Bill “COB” Brehler for SandBox. We look forward to working with them as we begin preparations for Run 2025. We will soon meet and vote on their respective ARC nominations, so watch for another announcement soon.

Each new RC will soon begin the process of building their leadership teams. We received many insightful and constructive comments about leadership on the Routes this past year. If you find it in yourself to volunteer, there are multiple opportunities to step up and assist. Whether you help in actual platoon or route activities, chase or hydration support, merchandise assistance; all are essential to having a successful Run 2025. If you wish to volunteer, please go to your favorite route hub (click here for Central, click here for Midway, click here for Southern, click here for Sandbox) and fill out a volunteer form. If you wish to volunteer for merchandise support, please send an email to merchandise@rftw.us.

I want to send out a huge thank you to all our riders who sent in AARs. The Board and the Route Coordinator/Assistant Route Coordinator review every AAR so that we can understand this issue(s) presented and consider your comments, both favorable and those not so favorable. If you have yet to send in an AAR, click here to do so now. Please keep those comments coming in.

We are only 327 days out from KSU for Run 2025, the Year of the Vietnam Vet. As we prepare for our upcoming Face-to-Face with the new RCs and ARCs, Run 2025 promises to be both significant and historic. We have special shirts in design, special pins are ordered, a special FNG patch is in design, and following our F2F, we hope to have additional announcements about plans for 2025. We are already looking at Run 2026 also, so if you have thoughts or ideas, please click here to send in a contact form.

You may have heard that we moved a couple of director positions around. As has happened in the past, the workloads for the different positions vary, and in trying to find balance, Todd Taylor has moved from Operations to Purchasing, and Mike Turner has moved into Operations. As announced before the Run, the BoD will meet at the end of June to discuss and perhaps vote on a new Public Relations/Communications director. If you wanted to apply and haven’t yet done so, click here to review the announcement and information on how to apply. The deadline is 30 June. Following the July F2F, we may have a slight change in some Director duties; more to follow on that.

So many wonderful things happened to make Run 2024 a success. Everything that made each Route successful happened because of our cadre of volunteers. It truly takes an entire Army to make each Run happen, and I am at a loss for words when it comes to praise for all of those who make it happen each year. My hat is off to one and all. If you know a volunteer, give them a hug. They certainly deserve it!

As you may have heard, it is likely we will be moving to a new DC host hotel in 2025. The Holiday Inn is soon going to be sold to condominium developers, and while there are no guarantees that will happen, we simply cannot make plans when facing an uncertain future. Our new DC/Arlington coordinator is already on top of the issue, so keep an eye out for more information as we make decisions on where to land Run 2025.

That’s about all I have for now. I would like to leave you with a couple of thoughts. At each of his morning meetings, CR RC Nick Hentges read a saying that I thought was particularly poignant, and I wanted to share it with you. It reads:

It is not the worst thing to die in war, it is not the worst thing to be missing in war. The worst thing is to be Forgotten in War.  Say their names, tell their stories.  Never Forget.

No one left behind is more than a standard we all live up to. It is a way of life. It is part of our Mission. If you or someone you know find themselves struggling with their mental health, please know you can contact the VA Veteran’s Crisis Line by dialing 988 then press 1 or text 838255 and speak or chat with a qualified responder.

Let us remember to keep our focus on the Mission. It is why we ride!

Say Their Names – Tell Their Stories – Never Forget.

Back to Basics. Back to the RFTW Mission.

Is it May yet?