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
