EVENT DATE: Saturday, September 24.
RFTW will provide the escort.If you are interested in participating please contact the POC, Michael “Chatters” Giannetta
POC CONTACT:
Michael “Chatters” Giannetta
(520) 254-2322
Chatters.rftw.az@gmail.com
DATE: Saturday, September 10, 2022
TIME: Check-in begins at 8:30am. Landscaping starts at 9:00am
RSVP: https://www.hfotusa.org/shenker
LOCATION: 8910 W Dove Roost Road, Queen Creek, Arizona 85412
Grab your garden gloves and roll up your sleeves as we beautify the home of Cpl Shenker. All volunteers will receive an HFOT T-shirt and lunch.
For more information or to volunteer, please contact: Q Bailey, Manager of Community Engagement Qbailey@hfotusa.org or call (774) 226-5173
ALSO – SAVE THE DATE! Cpl Shenker’s Key Ceremony is September 24, 2022. More details to follow.
Your opinion matters! Please take a moment to help us shape the future of the run by participating in a very short, 11-question survey.
As a perk, we will be drawing three names at random from the survey respondents. The lucky three will each receive a $50 digital coupon code that can be used at the RFTW.US online store. Of course if you wish to remain anonymous that is also an option, but you won’t be entered in the drawing.
Hurry, we will close the survey on 31 August, 2022.
Exciting news! Homes for our Troops (HFOT) has announced the date for the Shenker Volunteer Day – which will will be held in Queen Creek, Arizona on Saturday, September 10, 2022 @ 0900 hours (that’s 9:00 AM for you civilians). Official invitations will be available soon, but please save the date!
Volunteers will be helping to lay sod, plant bushes and get some basic home landscaping done. It’s a great way to help out and have fun at the same time.
Shenker (AZ) – Volunteer Day 9/10/22
Leoncio (CA) – In Engineering slated for Community Kick Off in 2023
Popp (CO) – In Engineering slated for Community Kick Off in 2023
McMinn (TX) – Volunteer Day Slated for some time in October 2022– Date TBD
Honaker (TN) – COMPLETED
The Run for the Wall Board of Directors has an open position due to a last minute drop out. We are looking to fill this position ASAP.
If you are interested in a leadership position and helping to steer our organization to the future please submit your resume to president@rftw.us.
Please include your experience on Run for the Wall, any previous positions held and your unique qualifications that make you an ideal candidate for a Board of Directors position.
*The deadline to submit your resume/interest is midnight June 19th 2022.
Due to changing circumstances, the ride from the host hotel (Holiday Inn Arlington) to the staging area for Rolling to Remember WILL NOT be escorted.
All RFTW riders who are participating in Rolling to Remember are advised to ride on your own over to the staging area located at RFK Stadium
RFK Stadium
2400 East Capitol St NE
Washington, DC 20003
Have a safe and memorable ride.
Dear Riders and Friends,
As you know, Run For The Wall has been conducting a fundraiser the last few months to support Homes For Our Troops. This organization provides, free of charge, homes specially adapted to the needs of severely wounded veterans. The Board of Directors felt that this would be an appropriate and worthwhile way to carry out our mission this year, even though we were unable to complete our Run due to COVID-19 restrictions. Our goal was to raise $25,000 in donations from our ridership, and others who who support our cause and mission. The Board committed to matching those donations on a dollar-for-dollar basis with unused funds from the previous two years’ registrations, up to a total of $50,000. That amount will, in turn, be matched by another foundation for a total of $100,000 to be donated to HFOT in Run For The Wall’s name.
As of July 12th, we had raised $11,225. I am delighted to report that yesterday, July 13th, our Treasurer, Jenny Ward, received a check from a donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, in the amount of $13,000! In the accompanying letter, this incredibly generous person simply said, “The reason for this donation (is) two-fold: We’d like to see that RFTW is responsible for giving $100k toward a home or homes. The PR, hopefully, will show the country that we’re still serious about our mission — the Vets. And we feel that the BOD should do something benevolent with the registration monies from two years …”
This puts us $775 away from our goal, and we have already received assurances from several folks that this shortfall will be covered.
Miracles still happen!
Respectfully,
Dave “Papa Smurf” Klemme
President, RFTW Board of Directors
“Freedom Isn’t Free”
Hello Central Route Riders.
I apologize for not writing an update for April 2021. There was no news but bad news. It is strange to be sitting at home the day before we all should have been leaving for Washington DC. The good thing about being in this dark depression for the last year or so, is that now we actually have some good news.
The Covid restrictions seem to be rapidly lifting across a good part of our country. Of course, the hope is that by May 2022, all of those restrictions will be in our rear view mirror. The Pentagon refused AMVETS’ permit for parking for the Rolling to Remember Parade, formerly known as Rolling Thunder, but RFK Stadium agreed to parade participants staging there. Although RFTW will not have an official presence there, many individual riders are either on their way to Washington DC, or are making plans to visit.
I hope all of you had an opportunity to read Les Williams’ latest President’s Message (https://rftw.us/presidents-message-may-2021/). He did an excellent job explaining that RFTW is not just a bunch of folks who get on their motorcycles and head east each year. As a benevolent organization, we raise money for veteran organizations and help support some of the schools in the areas we pass through. No one in the RFTW organization receives a paycheck. A lot of people donate a tremendous amount of time and effort to make RFTW the success that it is. Please take a moment to read Les’ message if you haven’t done so already.
In June we will have a change in the board. On behalf of Central Route and myself, I would like to personally thank Les Williams, Ken Ward, Don Burns, Ray Brammer, and Diane McKee for their years of service and dedication. This was an especially trying time, with the cancellations of 2020 and 2021, along with major bureaucratic obstacles.
I know many of you will be getting on your bikes in the upcoming weeks. If you are wearing your RFTW vests, you are representing all of us. Do us proud. As my sailor friends say, “Fair Winds and Following Seas.”
Looking forward to a 2022 run.
Stay Safe. God Bless the United States of America.
Ride safely and stay well. God Bless the United States of America.
Tom (Boomps) Miller
Run for the Wall
Central Route Coordinator
The RFTW Board of Directors is soliciting applications from riders interested in serving on the Board. There will be a number of vacancies on July 1st, 2021 due to term limits. Because sitting members have the option of moving into vacant seats, the vacancies are not being listed by Position.
Anyone is eligible to apply, but it should be understood that the Board places a high priority on experience and past service to the Run in leadership and service positions when evaluating candidates.
If you would like to apply for a position on the Board of Directors, please submit a resume with an overview of your work history and a detailed recounting of your RFTW experience, including your FNG year, the number of times you’ve ridden with RFTW (both as a Participant and ATW), which route(s) you’ve ridden, and what leadership or service positions you’ve held. We also ask that you submit a short cover letter explaining why you wish to join the Board. Please send these to me at dave.klemme@rftw.us
I hope to hear from you. Remember… decisions are made by those who step up.
