Greetings Run For the Wall Family!
I am please to announce that the plans for the All Routes Reunion, hosted by Midway have been completed and the information will be included in this newsletter. But first, I will take care of a little Midway business.
After discussing with our ARC and our Hawgwash fund raiser sponsor, it was decided that our Midway family will continue to send donations out even though our route was cancelled again this year.
$2,000 was sent to support Milan Elementary, another $2,000 to support Falcon Children’s Home and $1,000 to support Final Salute for our homeless women veterans. I thank all of you who supported our fundraising efforts.
As a reminder, our hotel raffle will be held on May 7th. The drawing for the $1,000 prize will be recorded and posted on our Facebook page. Good luck to everyone and thanks for purchasing your raffle tickets.
We are in need of an Assistant Arizona State Coordinator capable of taking care of things in the Lake Havasu area. if interested please contact me at ken.dugas@rftw.us.
Now let’s talk about the amazing plans for the Reunion! We will be calling this years event the “Sunbright Veterans Memorial Tour of Honor“
A brief history of the Sunbright Veterans Memorial.
Sunbright, TN is a small rural community in the Northeast corner of Morgan County. Mr. Charles Webb, a Vietnam Veteran, dreamed of the day Sunbright could properly honor the 830 Veterans of Sunbright. His dream of erecting a Veteran’s Memorial has taken thousands of countless hours of planning and fundraising. The challenge of erecting a worthy Memorial requires tens of thousands of dollars which was very difficult for this small community. Mr. Webb with the support of his wife, Joann, began organizing activities and events to raise money doing bake sales, yard sales, and various fundraisers. As the community came together, enough money was raised to first erect an 80′ flagpole, followed by the brick monument and service branch flags. Although construction has progressed for several years the humble and dedicated persistence of Mr. Webb has continued to propel this Memorial to completion and dedication Memorial Day 2021. The community is so excited and honored that our group will be going to their small, humble town to visit and pay our respects at their memorial.
This reunion will be a traveling reunion and we are in need of a volunteer to be our combination chase/hydration truck. If you can help, please contact our TN State Coordinator, Ron “Sky” King at ron.king@rftw.us.
The hotel blocks are open for reservations. The registration and agenda for the reunion is on our RFTW.US website under the Midway hub. The link is: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSddvZrKfLGD_n5nMunmyvPROznSUU6srGHcnpcjujUiB24Q/viewform?usp=sf_link
It is important to book your rooms and register for the reunion ASAP. The hotels will increase our blocks as long as rooms are available. We also need head counts for food and activities, so the sooner you register and make your reservations the better it is for our planning. With this said, please note that you will be able to register at the door should your planning require.
Hope to see as many of you as possible at all the reunions. Safe riding to all of you who will be on the road for Memorial Day.
Have I told you lately?……………..I love my RFTW family!
Ken “Six String” Dugas
Midway Route Coordinator
Hotel info and Reunion agenda below:
Sunbright Veterans Memorial Tour of Honor – Hosted by Midway Route
2 July – 5 July, 2021
Come join the fun in Tennessee over 4th July weekend. We will be riding half way across the State of Tennessee. Planned activities include two wreath laying ceremonies, Song Writers Night Out, Moonshine Harley Davidson Dealer party, and ride to Cookeville for dinner and 2nd largest firework show in Tennessee, and visit to Sunbright Veterans Memorial and Brushy Mountain Prison, open evenings in Memphis and Nashville, and – and – and.
Hotel reservation blocks are open and closes 5 June 2021.
Memphis, TN (2 July 2021)
Crown Plaza Memphis Downtown
300 N. Second Street., Memphis, TN 38103
Reservation Number: 1-901-525-1800 or 1-800-2CROWNE
Group Rate: $119.00 (Plus $3.00 Parking Per Room)
Group Name: Run-For-The-Wall Veterans Reunion 2021
Franklin, TN (3 July 2021)
Drury Plaza Hotel
1874 West McEwen Ave., Franklin, TN 37067
Reservation Number: 1-800-325-0720
Group Number: 2437401 (Rate $127.00)
Group Name: Veteran’s Reunion, Run-For-The-Wall
Cookeville, TN (4 & 5 July 2021)
Country Inn & Suites
1151 S. Jefferson Ave., Cookeville, TN 38506
Reservation Number: 1-931-525-6668
Group Rate $85.00
Group Name: Reunion Run-For-The-Wall
Agenda
Friday, 2 July
1500 – 1700 Lobby Registration (Registration $35.00 ea)
1730 – 1800 Rider Meeting Hotel Parking Lot
1800 – until Dinner On Your Own Downtown Or Beale Street Music and Blues!
Saturday, 3 July
0700 – 0800 Lobby Registration (Registration $35.00 ea)
0700 – 0850 Hot Breakfast @ Hotel
0900 – 0915 St Mary’s Catholic Church West Parking Lot (Rider Meeting)
0915 – 0925 Blessing of the Bikes
0930 – 1100 I-40 to Exit 108 Parkers Crossroad, TN State Veterans Cemetery
1100 – 1130 Lay Wreath (693 Wildersville Road, Wildersville, TN)
1140 – 1250 Parkers Crossroads City Park (Subway $7.00 ea.) (1:10 Lunch Stop)
1300 – 1330 Fuel Stop Marathon (Gas and GO)
1330 – 1540 Ride to Host Hotel, Drury Plaza, Franklin, TN
1715 – 1800 Lobby Reception / Registration
1830 – 1855 Stage & Ride to Kimbro’s ($10.00 ea. cover / pay as you go bar & food)
1900 – until Song Writers @ Kimbro’s Pickin Parlor, Franklin, TN or On Your Own
Sunday, 4 July 2020
0800 – 0830 Lobby Registration (Registration $35.00 ea)
0700 – 0900 Hot Breakfast @ Drury Plaza Hotel
1030 – 1045 Rider Meeting Hotel Parking Lot
1050 – 1100 Hotel Parking Stage for ride to Moonshine Harley Davidson
1100 – 1110 Ride to Moonshine Harley Davidson (Free Lunch) Or Lunch On Your Own
1100 – 1300 Moonshine HD (2:00 Lunch)
1300 – 1310 Stage for ride to Cookeville, TN
1310 – 1530 VA Hospital Visit Murfreesboro, TN (1:00 Visit)
1530 – 1700 Arrive Leslie Town Center, Cookeville
1700 – 1900 Reception and Dinner Cookeville (Auction for Sunbright Veterans Memorial)
1940 – until Stage Hotel Parking Lot then Move to Fireworks & Return (LEO Escort)
Monday, 5 July 2020
0800 – 0815 Lobby Registration (Registration $35.00 ea)
0700 – 0830 Hot Breakfast @ Hotel
0845 – 0900 Hotel Parking Stage (Rider Meeting)
0900 – 1030 Arrive Sunbright Veterans Memorial
1030 – 1115 Memorial Service Wreath Laying (01:00)
1115 – 1155 Arrive Brushy Mountain Prison/Distillery/Gift Shop
1155 – 1450 Brushy Mountain Lunch/Self Guided Tour ($25.00 ea.)
1500 – 1530 Arrive Petro’s Marathon (00:30 Gas and Go)
1530 – 1705 Arrive Host Hotel (End of Mission) Dinner On Your Own
Note: All times Central Daylight Time (Sunbright and Brushy Mountain are on Eastern Daylight Time)
Cost (each)
Registration $35.00
Subway Lunch City Park 3 July $7.00
Kimbro’s Picking Parlor (Optional) $10.00
Brushy Mountain Prison Tour and Lunch $25.00
Total: $77.00 or $67.00ea.
Register at RFTW online or at any overnight location each morning at the Hotel Lobby Registration Table.
Pay via Check by 25 June 2021 mail to:
Pam Dier for RFTW Reunion
8454 Florida Blvd.
Denham Springs, LA 70726
Pay via PayPal by 25 June 2021:
rftw.pamdier@gmail.com
Send it as: Friends and Family or PayPal will take a portion.
