Author: Sky King

Good morning from Wet Stormy Mississippi!  We are less than 40 days till KSU (Kick Stands UP).  I hope you are just as excited as I am!!  It will be here before you blink an eye.

Your leadership team is busy with the last-minute coordination to ensure a great experience for each rider. Outreach and the Ambassadors have finalized their outreach/visitation schedule.  If you would like to experience one of these opportunities? Then please, let your platoon leader or the FNG Coordinator know.   We have planned to allow a limited number of individuals to experience the interaction with families, veterans and the public, that the outreach and the ambassadors enjoy throughout the run. Being selected to be a member of the outreach or ambassador team is probably one of the most prestigious and rewarding positions on the Run

I want to remind everyone of some administrative issues for Ontario:  Be sure your prepaid fuel has been done via check or Zelle (Midway.Route@RFTW.us), so you can breeze through the registration process.  Additionally, only cash for the prepaid fuel in Ontario. We have no way to process personal checks there!  Checks received by Lily after 15 April will not be processed!  Those individuals will be contacted to be sure you are aware of your status.  You need to bring a hard copy of your bike or vehicle registration/insurance/and driver’s license for verification at registration.

Preprint your completed emergency data form from the website with all information.  The emergency data form is required to be on your person at all times while on the run.  Another thing you will hear over and over is—HYDRATE-HYDRATE. You can help that by starting to drink water now!!  Be sure you have an adequate amount of your required medications packed for the trip.  Almost, impossible to get prescriptions filled out-of-state.

Lastly, your bike and you both need to be inspected and exercised in preparation for the run.  Most Harley Dealer’s offer a free safety check, I recommend that if you are riding a Harley. A few things to do on your bike prior to your arrival for the 3000 plus mile Run:   Make sure you don’t need an oil change.   Brake shoes need to be in good shape to ensure you can stop timely.  Tires have adequate tread for the trip and have no dry rot.  Check your tire pressure to ensure nothing is leaking.  Practice your group riding skills in a group ride if possible (keeping your spacing/ throttle control/etc).  Group riding is a perishable skill which needs practice to maintain a safe level of competence. Pack a bag — load the bike and go for a ride to ensure your stability/load security and you are organized the way you plan to ride. For those who don’t do long distance riding, the last item is very important— all bikes handle differently based on the load distribution of rider/passenger/and luggage. Many of these items will be checked daily by your platoon cadre. Your safety is of utmost importance to us all!!

We still have the $1000.00 drawing scheduled for Monday at the All Hands meeting in Lot D.  You can purchase your tickets through check or Zelle (see March News Letter).  After 1 May tickets will be available at the promotion table until noon on 13 May.  As also many other items will be for sale at the promotion table.  All need to check out the promotion table for items available, not going to give away that info you will just have to check it out!  The table should be located at the Holiday Inn close to the Merchandise Trailer in the parking lot.  Tee shirts and other items will be on sale at the Merchandise Trailer or you can preorder by going to the Store Tab on the RFTW web site.

We are still short on the Staging Team.  If you would like to serve on Staging, please fill out a Volunteer Form.

There are a couple of meetings I can announce today that will not change, they are required attendance:  Monday, May 13th—–FNG Meeting in Lot D, 1946 E. Holt Blvd. (just down the street from the host hotel) at 1 PM (1300) immediately, followed by the All Hands Meeting at 2 PM (1400).  We will stage in Lot D just like we will Tuesday morning so everyone gets an opportunity to see where they will be.  Staging will be by Platoon so look for the flag with your assigned Platoon Number on it.  Go to that flag and someone from staging will direct your parking.  You will get out of the meeting in time to go over to the ELK’s Lodge for the steak dinner they are preparing for us!!!  You may pay at the door or buy a ticket in Ontario.  They have purchase special ribeye steaks to cook on their grills, so they are especially good. Also, they decided to do it on Monday Night for Midway Route’s inclusion. Plan to go!

If you have visited the itinerary, you will see several schools on it.  You are encouraged to bring school supplies for the kids I.E.:  Pencils/Back Packs/etc.  Supplies you can carry easily.  Most people go to the store the night before the scheduled visit to make purchases to conserve space.  As an Example, I go to Dollar Tree and purchase $20.00 of pencils, twelve to the pack for $1.25 each. This activity is completely voluntary!

In DC there are a couple of significant activities:  We are going to visit Arlington Cemetery on Saturday Morning to lay a wreath.  The whole Run (All four routes) are allocated a total of 75 Bikes, for a total of 150 people. Which means only a limited number of FNG’s from each Route will be able to attend.  That number for Midway has yet to be determined.  I plan to start the selection process by levels of participation—-FNG’s who go all the way will have the first opportunity.  Please, plan on offering another rider a seat on your bike if you are riding single.  Don’t want any bikes going single which deprives someone of the opportunity.  Next don’t sign up if you are unsure if you want to participate.  We will probably stage at 630 AM Saturday morning for this event.  The actual schedule has not been announced yet.  Just a sneak peek!!  At the Lincoln Memorial we have been advised that there can be no chanting or loud noises.  The park Department is concerned about the deterioration caused by excessive sound waves.  No bull horns will be allowed.  Please, help us in this effort or we will not be able to obtain a permit from the park service for our annual group photo.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Since this is my last newsletter before KSU, I want to say it is an Honor to be your Midway Route Coordinator for the 10th Anniversary Run.  It has been a pleasure working with the leadership team who has done all the work to ensure a safe and successful Run. Without them and the State Coordinators, I would still be sitting on the start button. Your Servant Leadership Team is ready to deploy!!!  I look forward to seeing each & every one of you in Ontario or along the way.

I will have to say——IS IT MAY YET!!!!

Don “10-A-SEE” King
Midway Route Coordinator
10^th Anniversary Run
RFTW 2024

After looking at the present cost of fuel, the prepaid number is One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00). One hundred fifty dollars for 2958 miles is cheap!!! You can prepay anytime between now and 5 May via Zelle to Midway.Route@rftw.us. Or  you can mail a check to Lily per the instructions below.  Be sure to put your correct name, registered under, phone number, and prepaid fuel in the memo block so we can include you on the spread sheet.  You can also bring cash to registration.  If you do not prepay your cost is Twenty Dollars ($20,00) per day.  To be very clear there are no exceptions to this policy.  The fuel team will be collecting the money at the pump from the non-prepaid participants. I am prepaying my fuel and I expect everyone to participate honorably. I like to use a phrase that defines this very well:  Discipline is doing what is right when no one is looking!! < SO PLEASE DO RIGHT >

Outreach has taken on a new task this year to try to collect and honor those who have fallen in the past year.  I asked Zoe our Outreach Coordinator to provide me with an announcement I could include here: The Midway Route has experienced the sadness of losing some wonderful family members in 2023.  We would like to honor the memory of these individuals during our Run this year.  They have all touched RFTW in one way or another.  If there is someone that has passed away in 2023 that has participated on the Midway Route could you please forward their name and the date of passing to zoewhat1@aol.com.  Thank you and may we remember them always!!!   Zoe

Hope everyone has made their hotel reservations and found a roommate if you were looking for one.  The itinerary will be out the last part of this month.  It will not be published in a hard copy book this year.  I encourage all to either create a file on your electronic device or print and laminate a copy prior to your departure for the Run.  Each of you need to review the daily stops and be aware of the efforts made by the communities along the way to host our group for lunches and dinners.  Additionally, the three outreaches for Cookeville are included.  Need to look at the different ones to determine the one you would like to participate in.  I will talk more about these outreaches later.

We have two promotions running right now managed by Gina Cutrer.  Both are posted on the RFTW site and Facebook.   The super bowl is February the 11 and we are selling squares on a football board for $25.00 each or five for $100.00.  The payout is $100.00 Walmart Gift Card per Quarter with no overtime.  We are also  doing another $1000.00 cash drawing to be drawn at the all-hands meeting on Monday before our departure on Tuesday.  The tickets for the cash drawing are one for $10.00, Seven for $50.00, twenty for $100.00, thirty for $150.00.  For both promotions you can pay by Zelle to Midway.Route@rftw.us with a note in the memo line for the promotion your money is designated for.  For the super Bowl board Zelle no Later than 10 February.  For the prepaid fuel or the cash drawing  you can mail a check to Lily Lieux. 6426 Bridgeport Drive, Greenwell Springs, la. 70739 no later than 20 April, 2024. Please, make a note in the memo line of the check for what you are donating to.  Any checks received after this date will be returned unprocessed.

When you review the itinerary, Look at the schools, churches, VFWs, American Legions, and Communities that open their doors to us with food and community involvement.  They all support their local veterans though Programs, Memorials, and Museums.   Additionally, they provide honor guards and other support to their communities which cost money.  They start working the day after our departure  raising money and support for our annual return. I bring all of this to your attention again, so each of you understand the importance of your participation in the various fund raising events and how your leadership is trying to be good stewards of your generosity.  Without you the Riders and your contributions there would be no RFTW.