Hello again, Central Route Riders.
By now you’ve all read the message from the RFTW BOD President, Les Williams, officially postponing RFTW 2021. I know you are all very disappointed by the decision. I can assure you that the entire BOD was saddened by the necessity of their decision, as were all of the rest of us who support and participate in RFTW. Having participated in the meeting on February 20th, Paul and I can tell you the decision of the BOD was extremely difficult. I can also tell you that our state coordinators’ work in providing a timely update of their planning efforts was a crucial piece of the meeting, and of the BOD decision.
One by one, each of the Route Coordinators presented the current status of their route planning. It was difficult to sit through the meeting, hearing all the challenges that still remained for the run. The information received from the routes led to a consensus among meeting attendees that RFTW 2021 could not proceed safely, or without disruption from a variety of COVID restrictions. In addition, a key portion of planning information, which contributed to the BOD decision, came out of Washington, DC and Arlington, VA. Simply put, it was just not going to be possible for RFTW to complete its mission in DC.
To Central Route State Coordinators, I want to say thank you – thank you for your hard work in planning for RFTW 2021, for your perseverance in spite of the COVID threat, and for your continued dedication and commitment to RFTW and its mission. Without your efforts RFTW simply could not happen. I encourage you all to remain optimistic about the prospects for next year, and to stay in close and frequent contact with your planning partners. Paul and I look forward to working with you again in the very near future as we plan for RFTW 2022. Please feel free to call me or Paul if we can be of assistance.
Ride safely and stay well. God Bless the United States of America.
Tom (Boomps) Miller
Run for the Wall Central Route Coordinator
