Reminder 1. We are only a little more than a week away from the Kerrville, TX; ALL Riders Reunion, September 25-27, 2020. There is still time to make plan. Looks like Cowboy and Sam have put together a couple of great day rides. There will ne a riders meeting Saturday afternoon, with a Q&A session.
Reminder 2. Now more than ever many of us are shopping a lot from home. If you shop from Amazon, remember to sign up and log in through Amazon SMILE and select Run For the Wall as your designated charity. Amazon donated a percentage of your eligible purchase to RFTW. It costs you Zero, Zip, Nada.
Reminder 3. Stay Positive. No doubt these are trying times for ALL of us. We will get through 2020 together and look forward to RFTW XXXII in 2021. We will never surrender……….
Greetings ALL from a HOT and Smoky Northern Nevada,
For those who have not heard, Barnett’s Harley-Davidson dealership in Las Cruces, NM will close its doors effective at the end of this month. We always get such a warm welcome from them and the Las Cruces community. I have heard countless stories of how they kept many of our Southern Route (SR) riders on the road. Rest assured that your SR Leadership is working hard to find an alternate venue.
Between the pandemic and government restrictions causing economic hardships, tough business decisions have to be made. Large and small businesses are forced to scale down just to remain viable. We may face even more challenges as we prepare for RFTW XXXII.
I have urged all of our State Coordinators to keep vigilant for business closures or local restrictions which may impact the Southern Route.
Without our dedicated State Coordinators (SC), we would not get one mile down the road. Every Fuel Stop, Donated Meal, Hotel List contract, collaboration with State and Local agencies are all organized by them. Most of their work starts well in advance of the Run, and sometimes making final adjustments until we arrive. Our SCs mostly stay behind the scenes so you may not even know their names. Some have been with SR since its beginning. Our SCs wear brown hats, maybe they should be gold. When you see them, please Thank them. I have listed their names and contact information below, it is also located on our contacts page. As you can see some have assistants, if you feel compelled to step up for one of the assistant positions near where you live on the SR., please send me your information for consideration.bob.nelson@rftw.us
I hope to see as many of you, as can make it, in Kerrville for the
TX RIDERS REUNION FOR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE RIDERS
Greetings Everyone, from the high desert of Northern Nevada:
With all of the pandemic bad news and the cancelling of the Angel Fire Reunion, comes some good news. The TX RIDERS REUNION FOR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE RIDERS a.k.a. The Kerrville Reunion is still a GO and there is still time to register but, time is running out.
When: September 24-27, 2020
Where: Host Hotel is the Y.O. Ranch Hotel 2033 Sidney Baker St, Kerrville, TX 78028 Room rates per night: Single/double/Triple/quad rate $99.00 + tax Online https://reservations.travelclick.com/12007?groupID=2810928 code for making phone reservations: Ask for the RFTW – Veterans group rate Block of rooms will be held until 12 noon 8/19/2020 Phone: 877-967-3767 To check out the hotel amenities & accommodations go to http://www.yoranchhotel.com
For those needing RV accommodations: •Kerrville-Schreiner Park 830-257-5392 (closest to the hotel, city park, call for reservations) •Buckhorn off I-10 800-568-6458
What: There will be a Swap Table set up where you can swap, trade, or give away items. Typically, you will find patches, pins, books, and stickers, etc.
Bringing item to donate for the Raffle and Auction is much appreciated. Bring Cash or your Checkbook for the Auction. You just might find something that you Must Have. ALL Monies raised will be going to a very good cause.
Side Notes:
Anyone desiring to be a “Roast” presenter, MUST send their request to Cowboy to be added to the list.
A Daily Agenda will be posted in about two weeks on Facebook under TX RIDERS REUNION and under the same heading on the RFTW Forum
As of now Masks / Face Coverings are required to enter businesses in Texas. Use of Common Sense is encouraged. We do not want RFTW Riders to be shown in a bad light, nor do we want anyone to jeopardize their personal Safety. Stay tuned for further announcements on this subject.
Friday – Arrival day is open for those interested in the Friday ride KSU YO 0900 or catching up with friends. Dinner at VFW post 1480 reasonably priced $9.00 Serving at 6pm. Pay at VFW
Saturday morning /afternoon –Breakfast at VFW Post 1480 $9.00 Pay at VFW. Serving at 8am in time for ride. KSU 0900 at VFW. RC/BoD Q&A 1600 YO Resort Hotel
Saturday evening – A buffet dinner is being served in a private room for the group. The dinner will include a selection of meats, coffee, and tea service. Adult beverages will be available at a cash bar in the banquet room.
Sunday morning is open for breakfast and coffee with friends before heading home.
Saturday’s dinner and a RFTW 2020 Reunion rocker are included in the non-refundable registration fee. For first-timers to RFTW Reunion, a reunion patch is included.
HOW: Registration cost: Now until September 15 – $35.00 Cash, Check or M.O.NO PayPal or Credit Card Registration cost: September 15 – September 24 – $50.00 Deadline for the post marked registration is September 21st paid in advance. The deadline is required by the hotel to confirm head count for Saturday’s dinner. Prior registration and payment are required.
************************************************************************ (Please print clearly) Name(s)_________________________________________________________________ Road name(s)____________________________________________________________ Number of Attendees:______________ Full Address:______________________________________________________________________ Email:____________________________ Phone:______________________________ First time attendee Yes_______ No_______ Friday evening dinner at VFW Yes______No_____ Saturday Breakfast VFW Yes____No______
Send checks payable to: R.W. Mead 120 Ridge Grove Rd Kerrville TX 78028 For more info, contact Sam or Cowboy at: rwmead@hotmail.com cell: 830-928-6634 or 915-422-5547 An email receipt will be set upon payment. The email receipt will be your dinner ticket/confirmation.
By the time this is posted, Diane and I will have returned from our cross-country trip (by cage) to Myrtle Beach, SC. As we approach the end of July, I look back at this month to see nothing is as usual. We should be making final preparations for the Angel Fire Reunion. But due to restrictions in New Mexico, the reunion was cancelled. We can’t let the circumstances squelch our Spirit.
The good news is that the Kerrville, TX All-Riders Reunion is still a go September 25-27. There is still time to register and book a room at the Y-O Resort. Please check the RFTW website for additional information.
Registration for Run For The Wall 2021, will open on August 1st, 2020. If you registered for 2020’s Run, you are already registered for 2021. With that said, you may need to update your registration information. Especially if you will not be able to make next year’s Run. There will be a Contact Link labeled “RFTW 2021-Registration Revisions”. Any and all registration changes need to be noted so that our database is up to date.
Remember that riding skills need to be practiced, so get out and ride when you can. Check for local groups or RFTW riders in your area.
All dated merchandise on the RFTW Shop is 50% – 70% OFF and FREE Shipping on orders over $50.00. Now is the time to stock up.
Our Run For The Wall nationwide community is a huge part of a successful Mission. Their support in the way of meals, fuel and generous hospitality enables many of us to afford to go on the RFTW Southern Route. Funding for our Educational Grant program comes from the generosity of our riders. By supporting the raffles, donations and ordering the 20th Anniversary t-shirts you helped to make this possible. This year were able to fulfill our intent to continue our educational support despite the Run being cancelled. $3,000 each was granted to Spiller Elementary School, Montvale Elementary School and Colorado City Middle School. In addition, $1,000 each was granted to the winners of our Essay Competition. These grants went to graduating high school seniors from Liberty High School, George Wythe High School and Dubiski Career High School. I would like to add a Special Thanks to Gwynne “Lady Bug” Dunlap, Southern Route Educational Grant Coordinator for her tireless work administering this program.
Because of the complications brought on by the current pandemic, making the presentations became quite a challenge. It was only accomplished by the dedication of the RFTW riders. Big Thank You goes to David “Buzz” Mullin and Billie “Bugs” Dunlap for Haulin’ the Mail in Texas. And a Special Shout-out to Trent “The Mayor” Crewe and Chris DiYorio for “Taking Care of Business” for us in Virginia, braving high seas to complete the Mission. I don’t want to forget ALL of the riders who participated and made these presentations Very Special Events, just look at the smiles in the pictures below. Believe me, there are SMILES under those masks.
It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of one of Run For The Wall’s and especially Southern Route’s biggest fans. Margie Green was escorted by angels as she slept on June 19th. Margie was a perennial supporter at our Piggly Wiggly stop in Ashville, Alabama. Always ready with a smile and a hug. The hug line would start as soon as the first bikes staged. One year, as we arrived, it began to rain. I don’t think she cared how wet she might get. I offered her an umbrella; she would have none of that. As an avid user of social media, she would never forget to wish you a Happy Birthday or whatever the occasion may be. I remember several lengthy messenger conversations, including one in May where we talked about not being able to see us this year. There has been an outpouring of tributes for Margie on our Facebook page and additional information about services for her.
I think I speak for all of us, Margie we Love you and we Miss you and we will Never Forget you. Rest in Peace, My Dear Friend.
One of our great U.S. Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, said “Anything worth having is worth waiting for”. I am sure he was talking about RFTW XXXII. I guess he could have just asked, “Is it May yet?”.
The good news is, as Run For The Wall goes, it’s Reunion Season. Time to get the ride plans together, make reservations and RIDE. Details can be found on the Forum and in the RC Newsletters. This year we have: the Tour of Tennessee; Angel Fire in New Mexico and the TX Reunion in Kerrville, TX. Reunions are open ALL riders, Past, Present and Future.
A great many of you were able to get some riding in and took on the R.F.T.W. Quest 2020. Some took the additional challenge of the H.O.P.E. Quest. One couple Chris and Kristin Andrews knocked it out of the park, by creating and completing their own POW*MIA Challenge. Outstanding, especially since they would have been FNGs in 2020. I congratulate all who have, and encourage all who will take up the Quest. Because many of you are still restricted by local restrictions, I have extended the deadline to July 5, 2020.
We would love to see your pictures on the Photo Board. In case you forgot here is how you do that:
Go to the RFTW.us website
Select a Virtual Route
Click on RFTW Quest 2020
Scroll down to BIO Submissions section
Fill in the information and select your picture file and Submit
Your pictures will eventually show on the Photo Board
We still have a lot of work to do and some new challenges ahead in preparing for RFTW XXXII 2021. This “extra” time has allowed us to take an in depth look at every stop along the way and see what we might do to improve the Southern Route experience. Soon I will announce a few open positions on our support team, so if you are interested in volunteering, watch for that.
Greetings from a cold and windy day in Northern Nevada, the high today 56, the weatherman says 90 by the weekend. It has been so long since we were home during this time of the year, I didn’t remember what it was like. Just another reason why we would rather be on the Run with ALL of you.
I want to thank those of you who have already participated in the R.F.T.W. and H.O.P.E. Quests 2020. I understand that many of you are still dealing with travel restrictions, so I have extended the deadline to complete the Quest until July 6, 2020. The pictures are now posting on the Virtual Southern Route (VSR) site Photo Board. Don’t forget to post your pictures, just click in the RFTW Quest 2020 section of the VSR site. Keep your BIOs and ride with them until 2021 and leave them at THE WALL. What better way to Honor those “We Will Never Forget”.
While you are at the VSR site, check out the Videos also. Especially the Flashback to 2006 Jackson, MS event. You might see some familiar faces.
Please take the time to read the daily Virtual Sitreps, Peppermint Patti is doing an amazing job of telling the saga of the Southern Route. I would like to take this opportunity to Thank ALL of the volunteers who “Ride for the Cause and not the Applause”, that make our annual Mission possible year after year. Please everyone, Stay Safe, Stay Healthy
Do you ever get the feeling you should be somewhere that you aren’t? I’m sure that like me, many of you are experiencing that dislocated feeling this week. I actually know exactly where I should be – As I write this, I should be just about to cross the Louisiana-Mississippi state line on my way to visit Earl and the Trail of Honor at Harley Davidson of Jackson on the Southern Route. Yesterday morning I had the honor of visiting with Gunny & PattiO along with their Posse as they came across north Texas, but sadly I could not join them on their journey to DC. However, I am still proud to be here virtually visiting with you, my RFTW SandBox Route “Posse” as we reminisce on Runs past and look ahead to Runs that lie before us.
You may have noticed that the other Runs are deep into Virtual activities such as the R.F.T.W. and H.O.P.E. Quest Photo Runs developed by the Southern Route and the BIOS effort initiated by the Midway Route. I hope that everyone is enjoying those and staying in touch with members of our Run Family. I have personally enjoyed reading the Virtual SITREP’s published each day by the various Routes. Yes, beginning next Sunday, 24 MAY 2020, you will also see daily SandBox Route SITREP’s from our very own writer, “Peppermint Patti” Bogan.
To further support our Virtual Run of the SandBox Route I will be conducting daily morning briefs for the Route each morning of the Run dates, 24-26 May. These briefing will start at 0800 and last approximately 20 minutes where we will do many of the usual announcements, route briefings and recognitions that we’ve come to expect on the Run. We may even have a few surprise guest speakers to say hello along the way. The Briefing will culminate with a drawing for a few special gifts before we break at the 15 minute horn to go mount up for the days virtual ride. (To be eligible for the drawing, you must be logged into the briefing.) Watch for a follow-up RC Newsletter tomorrow with the details of the Virtual Briefing – as a heads up, you’ll need to have the free Zoom app installed on your computer, iPad or phone to join the meeting.
One of the prizes awarded in the drawing will be the SandBox Route Inaugural Run patch that we will be selling as a fundraiser after next week. This patch was designed, fabricated and delivered back in February, so they will be commemorative showing the dates originally planned for this year’s Run. Instructions for ordering will be coming after next week, but you may be one of the first to have this patch if you log in to the daily briefings and stay for the drawing. We will be awarding two of these patches each day. Below is a photo of the patch which measures 4×2.5”.
I sent out a message last Wednesday (13MAY) via SandBox Registration e-mail to everyone registered on the SandBox Route just to confirm that they are and will remain a registered rider for the SandBox Route as we move forward to the Run for May 2021. If now or through the course of the year you find you must withdraw from the Route or have specific questions about your SandBox Registration, send an e-mail to sb-registration@rftw.us. You may also contact RFTW Registration directly at registration@rftw.us.
If you have questions about the SandBox Route in general or need to contact me directly, please write to billie.dunlap@rftw.us or our ARC, Six String at ken.dugas@rftw.us.
Finally, watch for another RC Newsletter tomorrow for info on the Live Zoom Broadcast of the SandBox Route Morning Brief each day of what would have been our SandBox Route this year, starting at 0800 Central Time each day.
Y’all take care, stay well and stay strong! Remember, all roads lead to all roads so no matter where you go, TOGETHER WE RIDE!
Nick Hentges our RFTW Director of Communications and Ted Kapner our Webmaster have worked tirelessly to compile our Awesome Virtual Run “micro-site”. Another Big Thank You goes to Jerry Lanier, our Outstanding Southern Route Photographer has allowed access to his vast library of 2019 Run photos.
The Virtual Run site has links to the “We Will Never Forget” Bios and a place to log and post your R.F.T.W. Challenge / Quest photos along with the “rules”. Don’t forget, once you have completed the R.F.T.W. or the R.F.T.W. & H.O.P.E. Challenge you will still need to email me bob.nelson@rftw.us in order for me to return email your certificate of completion.
Just as if we were on the Run, your Safety is my biggest concern. Do your best to Stay Positive. Ride when you can, “wind therapy” is great for maintaining a Positive Mental Attitude. Just ask Dr. Bugs. Your mental state has a huge influence on your physical well-being. The Spirit of the Mission will continue.
Between now and RFTW XXXII 2021 there are several Reunions and local gatherings to feed your need for camaraderie. The MR hosted “Tour of Tennessee” is planned for July 2-4, the CR hosted “Angel Fire Reunion” in New Mexico will be over the Labor Day weekend and the SR hosted Texas Reunion in Kerrville, TX is scheduled for September 24-27. All reunions are open ALL past, present and future RFTW riders and their supporters. Details can be found on the www.rftw.us website Forum under Regional Gatherings and in the Route Coordinators’ Newsletters. Check them out, each is unique and rewarding
