Category: Midway Route Coordinator News

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Midway Route RC Newsletter — September 2022

POW MIA

Why We Ride
POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY is SEPTEMBER 16, 2022.

Part of the RFTW Mission Statement is “To Call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action.” Because of multiple factors, there has never been an accurate accounting of all POW/MIAs. More than 81,000 Americans are still unaccounted for or remain missing. On this day, please remember our mission.

According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the remains of Americans still missing include:

73,515 WWII (approximate)
7,841 Korean War
1,626 Vietnam
126 Cold War
6 from other conflicts since 1991

“YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN”

I am excited to announce Midway Route will be the Test/Recon route to implement the “Slow-Down-Day” for an extra day of community outreach along the Route. There are other exciting activities and changes for Midway that may be included in this year’s ride. We are exploring the possibility of visits to several active duty installations: Fort Sill, OK, Fort Campbell, KY and Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. The objective is to develop an ongoing Route that visits new stops, as well as our original stops every other year, thereby providing a broader mission awareness and impact. Just to let you know we will be visiting Ft. Sill, OK in 2023 rather than Weatherford, OK. We are not abandoning Weatherford but will alternate every other year. This will lighten some of the community support burden while not abandoning this stop in future years. This year will also be the first planned visit to the new Army Museum just prior to our arrival into DC. Again, not abandoning the Marine Museum, but we intend to begin a year to year rotation between the two museums. This will offer some variety as well as support for both organizations. These are some of the planned and proposed changes, as well as those still in the planning stages, that both expands our mission and adds variety for the riders year to year. Hopefully, this eases some of the financial burdens on a number of the small communities that struggle to support us.

Let’s talk about the “Slow-Down-Day.” After many discussions with Midway leadership, talking to riders and looking at the recent RFTW Survey results, we have concluded that riders would like to have another day in Cookeville, Tennessee. Cookeville is very excited for us to add a day in their community and will be providing dinner for the riders that evening. The day can be used for rest and recovery, as an Outreach Day, or just ride the area on your own. Thus, the name “Slow-Down-Day.” You will not be required to do anything. However, we hope to have a positive impact on support and expansion of our mission opportunities. To that end, your TN State coordinators (Ed Butler & Phil Friedli) along with the leadership team have developed 3 to 4 Outreach opportunities for that day. Those Outreaches would start about 9-10 AM and end by 2-3 PM. You can have breakfast at the hotel, and it looks as if each outreach will have lunch provided
(more details next month). These outreaches are for 100% of the riders, to include: the Staging, Fueling, Advanced Teams, and Trikes and Bikes with trailers who may unhook for the day and have the opportunity to participate in an outreach they otherwise may not be able to do, thereby experience its healing value. This is something you don’t ordinarily get to do. Rest is one of the main reasons for this day. We can also call this a Safety Day, so you can catch up on hydration and rest. The reality is that a few extra hours sleep and slight slowdown in the
intensity/demands of the daily riding will refresh and invigorate everyone. After you get up that morning, you will have time to drink your quart of water that helps get your brain hydrated. Proper hydration certainly should help prevent accidents/incidents caused due to dehydration. One last note. We will be adopting a school in the Cookeville, TN area. Adopting a school is always as exciting for us as it is for the students. We are trying to preserve the Midway Route RFTW Legacy and add new experiences.

This means, the Midway Route will leave California on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Yes, it can be done, and we are working on the details. We will have shorter leadership meetings in California on Monday. Most leadership/rider details will be organized in ZOOM calls prior to arrival in California. Once again, this is your chance to have a positive impact on support and expansion of our mission opportunities. It will be a great eleven days, as we continue to explore some new experiences along the route. In all, my goal is still to shorten your riding days
where possible and not to lengthen them.

Homes for our Troops is having a Volunteer Day on September 10, 2022 in Queen Creek, Arizona. They will be doing landscaping activities around the new house for Yev Shenker and his family. Free lunch and a T-shirt will be provided to volunteers and the weather in Arizona should be nicer by then. RSVP to the website announcement.
Then on September 24, 2022, there will be a Key Ceremony for Yev Shenker and his family. We will escort Yev and his family to the new house. Details for both events are on the RFTW website.

REGISTRATION FOR THE 2023 RUN FOR THE WALL EVENT OPENS 9-11-2022

“NEVER GIVE UP”

Jim “BRUZER” Bruzewski
Midway Route Coordinator 2023

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Midway Route RC Newsletter – August 2022

Hello to the Midway Route Family and everyone else interested in our route.

The Midway Route Welcome VIDEO got posted this week and it is ready for viewing. I hope it is welcoming and informative. Special thanks to Denise “Zoom” Murray for production and to Mike “Bonehead” Kyzer, Jim “Hoofer” Mcrain and “Pawkee” for letting us use their video and photos. We would have been lost without their help.

We have had two very productive Board of Directors meetings since the last newsletter. They have approved three new State Coordinators. They are Ed Butler for Tennessee, Gary Whaley for North Carolina and George Doyle for New Mexico. We congratulate and welcome them to their new positions and thank them for volunteering. They have done much planning and hard work already. We are planning some new experiences for the route this year to possibly include visiting some active military bases. We will continue to visit our other amazing places along the way every other year perhaps. This will take the fundraising load off those communities and organizations that provide us with food and fuel along the way. Those things are always very much appreciated every year and we would not function without them.

The Board of Directors has also approved Don “Tennessee” King as our Road Guard Captain. 10-A-SEE has been the Midway Route Asst. Road Guard Captain since 2019 and the Sandbox Road Guard Captain since 2019. He has helped get us across country all that time without accidents or incidents. It is a remarkable safety record. He has been planning the details of moving our Midway pack through the new experience mentioned earlier. Congratulations 10-A-SEE and thank you for volunteering. He has a hard job ahead but he has been known to create miracles or something close.

We are thinking about having a day off in Cookeville, Tennessee for rest, laundry, and several outreach visits. We all know we are getting tired about that day on the run. This often adds up to safety issues the next few days. We have been talking to a lot of people about the idea and are getting some very positive feedback from our riders and leadership. We would spend two nights in Cookeville, our adopted town, or rather they adopted us. The hotel rate there is the cheapest on the route and they would feed us if we stayed. We already have three or four outreach opportunities available and the riding in the area is beautiful. You would not be obligated to participate in anything that day. You could just rest. We would leave California on Tuesday instead of Wednesday and have our meetings on Monday. It is one less day in California at the most expensive hotel on the route. We would also relieve pressure on the Central Route who usually bumps up against us all the way to Williams, AZ that day. We have most of the details worked out already and it could be done. There are lots of things to consider, so think about it. This should make our lives easier and not more difficult. We will still attempt to shorten our run days where possible. We will make a decision soon.

The President and Board of Directors have posted a rider SURVEY on the RFTW website. If you automatically receive RFTW emails you should have already gotten it. Please complete the survey as soon as possible. Please only do it once as it messes with the system if you try to take the survey twice. The SURVEY closes on August 31, 2022. This survey will be used to make some important Board of Director decisions, so please participate. This is your opportunity to have input into the decision making.

Well, this newsletter is chock full of stuff. Everything discussed is intended to make the run easier and more enjoyable but still keeping in mind that you continue to have a meaningful experience within the context of the four goals of the Run for the Wall.

REGISTRATION OPENS   9-11-2022

 

“NEVER GIVE UP”

 

Jim “Bruzer” Bruzewski

Midway Route Coordinator 2023

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Midway Route RC Newsletter – July 2022

Jim Bruzewski

I want to welcome everyone to the Midway Route Family.

I am Jim Bruzewski also known as “BRUZER”. I have the honor of being selected as the Route Coordinator for the 2023 Midway Route. I have served as a Tailgunner and Asst. Platoon Leader and have been a Road Guard, Push Team Leader and Asst. Road Guard Captain. I have been on the Midway Route since the Inaugural Run. Jerry “Corp” Wilkins joins us as the Asst. Route Coordinator. He will be the ARC as well as my mentor. His experience is invaluable.

We have been in the planning stages for a month now and have most team leads in place. We are always looking for more volunteers to step up and fill a variety of positions. If you have an interest in a particular position or job, send me an email and let me know. Include some of you experience with RFTW. I will get you in touch with the team lead for that position. I definitely appreciate everyone who volunteers as we would not be able to fulfill our mission without you. You are the reason we succeed every year.

The Midway Route is not just a route but is a FAMILY. We have developed a family culture over the years and I intend to carry on in that tradition. We don’t just say the words, it is part of our culture. We have a “servant leadership” that is there to help you get safely across country. Everyone, whether in a leadership position or not is here to answer your questions. The route is about you and the mission and not about leadership. Safety of everyone is of utmost importance.

We will continue to review the After Action Reports from 2022 and consider those experiences and recommendations going forward. We will continue to tweek the route to perhaps add some more varied experiences as we did this year. We understand that there are more veterans on the run who are not Vietnam Veterans like myself and we hope to add some experiences that are more relevant to you. I cannot make any promises but I would like to shorten your days where possible.

I want to thank everyone who participates in fundraising activities throughout the year and encourage you to continue fundraising efforts. The reality is that without fundraising we would not be able to complete our mission and travel accross this country. This year we even had a young lady in grade school who helped in fundraising for the Midway Family. I imagine we could all help.

Hope to see you join the Midway Route “FAMILY”.

The RFTW run dates from CA to DC are May 17-27, 2023
REGISTRATION opens 9-11-2022

“NEVER GIVE UP”

Jim “Bruzer” Bruzewski
Midway Route Coordinator 2023

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Midway Route Coordinator Newsletter – July 4, 2022

Greetings RFTW Midway Family.

Happy Independence Day! I want to begin by thanking all of our military, past and present, for their sacrifice and service for our country. You have fought to maintain the freedom given to us by our founding fathers. I will never forget! I hope you all will have a great day.

As I write this, my final RC Newsletter, I want to thank everyone who has supported me, our Midway route and RFTW mission. I am so proud of the team and family we have built on Midway. Our 2022 route was a huge success, and we had another accident-free Run! This could not have been done without the excellent teamwork on our route. Our riders and all the FNGs were amazing! Thank you for making this year so special.

I am still working on closing our 2022 route. I have additional plaques on order and they should be shipping soon. I also have some rockers that were missing on order as well. However, those may take a little longer to get because “Stitch-N-Bitch” is on the road right now and will not be able to get them made until she makes it back home. There are also a couple of caps that I am working on getting for a few people. I will be mailing some missing certificates once I receive the rockers. Just know that the Run may be over, but I am still on the job making sure I get everyone on our team what they deserve. I also want to give you all my private (non-RFTW) email. it is kdugas@pharmasafe.com. I hope to stay in touch with as many of you as possible.

As you all know, we faced and overcame many challenges this year. One of those being the loss of my right-hand man, our ARC Jerry “Corp” Wilkins, who had to leave the run and return home to California. Jim “Bruzer” Bruzewski, stepped up to finish our route as ARC. I want to publicly thank Jerry for all his hard work and dedication to our route and our mission. He worked side by side with me for 3 years and was such an important part of the success we had on Midway. Thank you Jerry, you were missed.

During and after the route, Jerry, Bruzer and I had several meetings discussing the future of Midway and the path moving forward. Considering the safety of the pack, putting mission before self, and Jerry having to leave the route, Jerry and Bruzer agreed and requested that I should nominate Bruzer as RC and Jerry as his ARC to the BOD. The BOD has approved this.

It is my honor to officially announce Jim “Bruzer” Bruzewski as the 2023 Midway RC! Bruzer is a Vietnam Veteran and was a POW in Vietnam. He is my RFTW hero and what RFTW is all about. He is also very knowledgeable in what it takes to lead this pack across the country. He has been a Road Guard and our Push Team leader for many years. Bruzer has made me a better man and I could not be more honored to be able to call him my friend. Jerry unselfishly will be Bruzer’s ARC making him the longest running ARC in RFTW history! I am confident that the future of the Midway Route is in good hands with these guys.

I cannot leave without also giving a special thanks to our Road Guard Captain, Rick “Taildragger” Schultz. We were FNGs then RIGITS together, and now, we leave together. It has been quite a ride my friend! Thank you for all of your support throughout the years. I am the rider I am today because of your teachings and time working with me. (So, whether you think I am a good or bad rider, it is on you! lol!)

I cannot list all our leadership and support positions individually, but I hope you know how much I appreciate the great jobs you all do, and I thank you very much.

Being a part of building our Midway route from the beginning has been such a labor of love and pride for me. I am so proud of the culture of servant leadership, mission before self, safety and family that has been built. The RFTW mission, and especially our Midway family will always have a special place in my heart. I will continue to support Bruzer and Jerry as needed to the best of my abilities. Thank you for giving me the privilege of leading this route. It is a memory that I will always cherish.

Have I told you lately?……………………… I love my RFTW Midway family! I will miss all of you.

Honor, Hope and Healing,

Ken “Six String” Dugas
Midway RC 2020-2022

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Midway Route Coordinator – Newsletter- June 2022

Greetings RFTW Midway family!

After 7033 miles, “High Maintenance” and I made it back home to south Louisiana.  Stayed dry the entire trip until rain finally got us about 5 minutes from home.  God has a great sense of humor!

What can I say about RFTW XXXII Midway route?  Well, after two years of cancellations and countless obstacles to overcome, WE pulled off an amazing run.  I am so proud of our leadership team and our riders.  So many changes with new stops and so many people new to leadership and support positions, not to mention a lot of FNGs!   We lost our ARC, Jerry “Corp” Wilkins, to illness and our Mentor, Glenn “Wombat” Waggoner, who was taking care of Jerry.  I want to thank Glenn and his wife Laurie for driving Jerry back to his home in California.  We missed you all very much.  I am happy to say that Jerry is doing well and back at work.   What we lacked in experience, we made up in teamwork. 

I am so happy to say that we completed our mission without any accidents!  Although it was not perfect, the emphasis we made on riding techniques and doing our best to minimize the “rubber banding” was a contributing factor for our safety.  Each day got better, and I feel confident that the future leaders of Midway will continue to focus on this to make sure our route is run as safely as possible. 

Our RFTW mission was always our focus and the new additions of the patriotic music to announce the time for our morning meetings was received well and set the tone from them beginning.  The “Missing Man Honor Mat” gave new emphasis to the missing man formation and made it personal by the pictures and stories that everyone could see and know who was being ridden for each leg of the run. The flag carried across the country by FNGs made the FNGs feel a part of the family from the start and was ceremonially transferred at the missing man formation at each stop. 

The morning recognition of all the families and individuals that have served and sacrificed for our country is always a humbling moment.  We had so much talent this year on Midway that we just had to show off this talent by singing the National Anthem.  Siren, Quiet-1 and Snax, you all did a great job.  We had a FNG flautist play amazing grace and all the military branch songs.  We had “Curly” sign songs for us. And let us not forget, the morning readings of the BIOs.  This is why we ride, and we will never forget!

The culture established on Midway is something special.  It all starts with a philosophy of “servant leadership’.  Thank you to all the team leaders and support positions.  You all put mission before self and served our mission and riders well.  Our mission is to help those individuals and family members who need healing and support.   You did that!  I, once again, witnessed what I call “Run for the Wall Miracles.” This mission can have life changing, positive, effects on people’s lives.  I personally know a couple of people whose life was changed for the good because of our RFTW run this year.  It happens every year!  The family culture was alive and well.  We welcomed the FNGs with hugs every day.  I want to thank all the FNGs for joining us and being such an important part of our run.  Welcome to the family! FNGs are the life of RFTW.  Without FNGs, the mission cannot continue.  You all did a great job and I hope you all will return next year.  Our Canadian FNG friends told me that they could not get over how well they were received and welcomed into the RFTW family.  They had never experienced anything like it.  They are planning on coming back and bringing more with them!  I am looking forward to that.

I want to thank everyone for being such good ambassadors for RFTW.  You were all very kind, respectful, courteous and polite.  We had to start to rebuild Midway this year and you made a great impression on the people who supported and hosted us.  Even when we had the disaster at the hotel and they did not have rooms ready, you all represented RFTW well.  The hotel manager even commented on what a good group we had.  This is what it means to be a good ambassador for RFTW and putting mission before self.  I could not have been prouder of this group.

I also want to thank all the State Coordinators.  These people and their assistants have been working for years to make this 10 day experience happen for us.  Great job of adapting and overcoming!  Thank you so much!

I want to give a special thank you to our ARC, Jerry “Corp” Wilkins and our RGC, Rick “Taildragger” Schultz.  These guys stuck with me for years to make RFTW XXXII Midway happen.  We couldn’t have done it without y’all!

Well, my time is almost up as RC for Midway.  It has been such an honor for me to lead such a great group of people.  It will be a memory that I will never forget.  The RFTW mission and friendships made will always be special to me.  I hope I represented all of you and our mission well.  It has been an honor and privilege to serve you.  Thank you for all the love and support.

Have I told you lately?……………………I love my RFTW Midway Family!

Honor, Hope & Healing,

Ken ‘Six String” Dugas
RFTW Midway Route Coordinator, 2020-2022

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Midway Route Coordinator – Newsletter- April #3

Greetings Midway Family!

I am sending this newsletter to reschedule the Midway open forum Zoom meeting that I had scheduled for next Tuesday May 3rd. I apologize because I accidently scheduled this meeting over the Sandbox route’s meeting.

I have rescheduled the meeting for the next day, Wednesday May 4th at 19:00 central time. I hope this time works for you. I am looking forward to seeing all of you. The link for the meeting is:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81907143838?pwd=bGZTRVFYcGNoQ216NnJnN0VWZ2s4dz09

Meeting ID: 819 0714 3838
Passcode: 176119


Is it May yet? …….. Almost!!!

Honor, Hope & Healing

Ken “Six String” Dugas
Midway Route Coordinator


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Midway Route Coordinator – Newsletter- April #2

Greetings Midway Family!

I am so excited that we will finally be back together in Ontario soon and will once again be riding for our RFTW mission.  We have adapted and overcome so many challenges and had to make several changes on our route.  To this day, we continue to face challenges that we must overcome.  I am confident that our Midway team will be ready, and we will have a great 2022 mission.  Much to cover in this newsletter so please bear with me.

We have had several, unexpected, last-minute cancellations from several leadership and support people.  Positions that have opened up include Platoon leadership positions (particularly tail gunners), staging team, road guards, outreach, ambassadors and promotion team members.  If you are interested in stepping up to volunteer for a leadership or support position, please email me at ken.dugas@rftw.us and we can discuss the position of interest and need.  I will then direct you to the right point of contact. Our team leaders would appreciate the help!

I have scheduled an open forum Midway Zoom meeting for Tuesday May 3rd at 19:00 central time.  The main purpose of this meeting is to discuss riding expectations, procedures, concerns, morning meetings, welcome FNGs and do our best to answer any questions.  The link to join the Zoom meeting is below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84148438127?pwd=TGNNR0dMREN0ellSTG1COEQ0aVhzUT09
Meeting ID: 841 4843 8127
Passcode: 918155
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,84148438127#,,,,*918155# US (Chicago)

A couple of new things for Midway this year:
We will have a “Missing Man Honor Mat”.  This mat will have a clear pouch for you to place a bio and/or picture of the person you are riding for.  It will be placed on the ground in the position of the “Missing Man” at every stop we make.  The intent is to help people have a better understanding of the “Missing Man” formation of the “Lead Element” and emphasize its meaning and importance of our mission.
If you are interested in riding a leg in the “Missing Man” formation for someone, please contact our Missing Man Coordinator, Sue “Odds” Chapin at sjandrew1992@gmail.com.

Midway will have a flag presented to us in Ontario to take to the “Wall”.  I would like for FNGs to participate with this by having a different FNG carry the flag every leg of our route.  I want FNGs to feel welcomed and a part of our family and mission.  This “flag to the wall” will be coordinated by our Honor Guard Coordinator, Ray “Cornman” Cornmesser.  If you would like to participate, please contact “Cornman” at cornman88@hotmail.com.  Anyone can participate but FNGs will be given priority.

Some good news to share, with our continued efforts to fund raise and some generous donors, Midway fuel cost should not be a factor for you not coming.  I cannot say that all fuel will be paid for like in the past, however, the high cost of fuel will not be a factor for our route.   You will have help with the fuel cost.  However, please make sure you bring extra money if you can so that you can support our raffles, 50/50 and auctions.  Every day you have chances to win something!  These fundraisers during the route help to support our riders, hosts, children in Milan and Falcon and our mission.  Your participation is always appreciated.   

Finally, please go to rftw.us website.   Under “run details” tab, you will find the emergency information form.  I would encourage you to download the form, complete it, and make two copies of it.  One will be for wearing around your neck and the other is good to have in your bike.  This is something you can do before you get to Ontario.  It is good information for you to have with you during your ride out to Ontario and will be one less thing you need to do in Ontario.  Also, many of you have registered but did not complete the on-line waiver form.  This form is also on the website under “run details” then “RFTW Registration”.  If you have not completed the waiver, please do so ASAP.  If you are not sure, it will not hurt to do so again.

I look forward to seeing all of you soon!  Safe travels.

Have I told you lately?………I love my Midway family!

Honor, Hope & Healing
Ken ” Six String” Dugas
Midway Route Coordinator

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Midway Route Coordinator- Newsletter-April

Greetings RFTW family,

Great news, I am sure you have heard by now, but RFTW 2022 is officially on!  We ride again!
Itineraries are in review and will be published soon.  We are still working on last-minute changes!

Please register now.  Getting an early count of how many will be on our routes helps with the planning and lets our hosts know how many to prepare for.  ALL Registration will be online and paperless.  As part of the online registration process, you will “digitally” sign the Waiver Form and make payment before your Registration is complete.  You can pay by credit card; you do not need a PayPal account to pay by card.  Registration fee is $30, starting May 1, 2022, it goes up to $50.   In Ontario (Or wherever you start), since you are pre-registered, all you need to do is “Check In”.  At check in you will need: Your Driver’s License with the proper endorsement for the vehicle you are riding if required in your state of residency.  Also, Your Current Registration and Proof of Insurance, these last two items are acceptable in digital form.   All of the above cannot expire before the end of the Run.
All participants going to Riverside in Ontario must be registered.

Please allow me to discuss an uncomfortable topic.  Unfortunately, we are dealing with high inflation numbers and skyrocketing fuel costs.  Sadly, several riders have had to cancel their plans for RFTW due to fuel costs and other financial concerns.  Participants in RFTW have always been responsible for covering the cost of their fuel.  However, Midway participants have been very blessed by having most, if not all, of their fuel stops donated.  Keep in mind, donated is not the same as free.  Someone paid for this fuel, and it is much more costly these days. 

With that said, many are working on their budgets for our mission.  I wanted to come up with a plan to address fuel costs to help individuals with their planning.  Due to our fundraising efforts, the Midway route will be contributing to the costs of our rider’s fuel.  All money that we raised for fuel will be used for fuel!  We have 21 fuel stops on Midway.  For the 21 fuel stops, you will be charged a flat fee of $15.00 per stop.  This will allow you to have money prepared and ready to give to the fuel team. (No change will be given for fuel). This will help our fuel stops be more efficient and give platoons more time for rest and hydration.   Any amount due over this will be paid by the Midway route.  Rest assured that participants will come out on the good end of this deal!  As we move towards the end of our route, money raised that was not used, will go towards donated fuel stops.  I want to help our participants as much as possible with fuel costs.  You will not have 21 fuel stops to pay but I hope this helps you to budget your fuel costs.  Keep in mind that you will need to fuel every night on your own, plus your cost to get to the Run and back home.  (Plan subject to change if needed)

It is not too early to make sure your bikes are serviced and in good condition for a cross country trip. Keep in mind that this ride is demanding. It is a good idea to get some saddle time in and get yourself in riding shape as well!   More RC Newsletters to come.  Keep checking the RFTW.US website for updates.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you again and meeting the FNGs.

I love my Midway family!
Is it May yet?

Ken “Six String” Dugas
RFTW Midway Route Coordinator

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Midway- Route Coordinator Newsletter – Feb 2022

Greetings from hot, cold, rainy, sunshiny, South Louisiana.  If you don’t like the weather here, just wait a minute, it will change.  We can have all four seasons in a week!

Excitement is building as we get closer to our May mission.  Last week, we had a Zoom meeting with our Midway Leadership team.  Everyone is working hard getting our Midway route ready.  Our teams are looking good.  However, we do have a few needs.  We may have some positions available on our Ambassador team.  These are very special positions and require a lot of leadership experience on our route. If you are interested in being considered for one of these positions, please send an email with your RFTW experience and contact information to Dan ‘Papa Hawg” Underhill at aspendan@yahoo.com.

We are short a platoon leadership team.  Our Platoon Coordinator looks for people with leadership skills and great riding skills.  This position also needs people who have gone “All the Way” before.  If interested in being considered for one of these positions, please send an email with your RFTW and riding experience to Dan “TapOut:” Sifford at j.d.sifford@att.net

Our Promotion team leader, Lane Flynn could also use some help.  If you have interest in helping with our raffles, promotions, and fundraising, please contact her at leflynn@aol.com. 

Speaking of fundraising, let me remind everyone that our hotel raffle is going on right now.  The prize for this raffle is $1000.00, which is approximately the amount it will take to pay for your hotels excluding your stays in Ontario and Arlington.  The money raised from this raffle will go to support the children from Milan Elementary and the Falcon Children’s home which host us.   I think our route would agree that these children are a great place for us to invest. 

The cost per ticket is $10.00 or you can purchase 10 tickets for $50.00!  If you purchase $100.00 worth, you will get 25 tickets.    If you purchase 10 tickets or more before the end of February, you will receive 2 extra tickets (per 10) for free.  The tickets will be capped at 30 per person to make it as fair as possible.  If you would like to purchase Hotel raffle tickets, please make check out to RFTW and send to:
Ken Dugas
9849 Loblolly Pines Lane
Denham Springs, La. 70726

You may also electronically send the money through Zelle by using my email:  kdugas@pharmasafe.com.  Please send me an email at ken.dugas@rftw.us to let me know if you are sending money.
Thank you in advance for your support of this great fundraising cause.

We will be scheduling more virtual team meetings as well as a rider’s meeting prior to everyone heading to Ontario.  Please keep checking my newsletters and emails for meeting schedules when published.

Our next face to face Board of Directors meeting will be on March 12th.   I am looking forward to discussing and finalizing our plans for our 2022 mission.  I will update you after that meeting with any news.  Everyone is excited about finally riding again in May!

Honor, Hope and Healing

Ken “Six String” Dugas
Midway Route Coordinator

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Midway Route Coordinator Newsletter – Dec 2021

Season’s Greetings RFTW family!

Is it May yet?  So much to talk about.  First, your leadership teams and state coordinators are hard at work planning our 2022 route.  It has been too long since our last Run. We are so excited to get back on the road and support our RFTW mission with our Midway route.  I thank our team and supporters for everything they are doing for us.  Are you registered yet?  Registration is open and you can find all the details on our rftw.us website.  I encourage you to register asap.  Knowing our numbers helps our supporters with their plans for us.

Our hotel and camping list has been submitted to the BOD for publishing on January 1, 2022.  It is important that you make your reservations as soon as you can after the list is published. Rooms book quickly.  Let me stress the importance of understanding that everyone is an Ambassador for RFTW when contacting the hotels.  The hotels can get overwhelmed with calls from our group and not all people who answer the phone are familiar with our group or the arrangements we have in place.  We have cancelled our rooms with them for the last two years in a row.  This has been hard on the hotels and much work has been done to maintain our relationships with them.  Please be patient and polite when dealing with them, especially if things are not going as smoothly as you would like.  Our mission is bigger than us individually, please represent RFTW well.  We are all appreciative of your professional representation of RFTW.  If you have any hotel issues you cannot resolve, please contact our Hotel Coordinator.  Contact information can be found on the rftw.us website under the Midway hub for the Hotel Coordinator.

Speaking of hotels, I am once again holding the hotel raffle.  The prize for this raffle is $1000.00, which is approximately the amount it will take to pay for your hotels excluding your stays in Ontario and Arlington.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have this expense covered for you!  There will be one change to this raffle this year. In the past, the money raised from this would go towards paying for a fuel stop.  This year, for 2022, the money raised from this raffle will go to support the children from Milan Elementary and the Falcon Children’s home which host us.   Midway has always donated to these two schools even during the last two years that our route was cancelled.  I think our route would agree that these children are a great place for us to invest. 

The cost per ticket is $10.00 or you can purchase 10 tickets for $50.00!  If you purchase $100.00 worth, you will get 25 tickets.    If you purchase 10 tickets or more before the end of February, you will receive 2 extra tickets (per 10) for free.  The tickets will be capped at 30 per person to make it as fair as possible.  The drawing will be in Hopewell, VA.  If you would like to purchase the Hotel raffle tickets, please make check out to RFTW and send to:
Ken Dugas
9849 Loblolly Pines Lane
Denham Springs, La. 70726

You may also electronically send the money through Zelle by using my email:  kdugas@pharmasafe.com.  Please send me an email at ken.dugas@rftw.us to let me know if you are sending money.
Thank you in advance for your support of this great fundraising cause.

This week, I updated the leadership and support positions on the contacts page of the Midway Hub on rftw.us.  If you are a team leader, please check it and let me know if you have any changes that need to be made.

Midway is still currently looking for Assistant State Coordinators for New Mexico and Arizona.  These are extremely important positions for our mission.  If you are interested and would like more information about these positions, please contact me.

Wow! So much information at one time.  I will stop here and wish all my RFTW family a very Blessed and Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays and good health to you all, from the Dugas family.

Have I told you lately?…….. I love my RFTW family!

Sincerely,

Ken Six String” Dugas
Midway Route Coordinator