Greetings from the deep South! Other than the time change it is hard to tell that we are nearly halfway through November. Warmer than normal temperatures are still providing many of us with some extended nice riding weather but before we know it winter will be upon us. This is a great time to begin to take inventory of your equipment and gear. You might even find a few things to add to that last minute Christmas wish list!
Planning for 2025’s Run continues to progress well. I cannot thank our key Leadership enough for quickly coming together and assisting with several recommendations to get the pack safely around areas that we would normally travel on the way to Asheville. While we are still ironing out a few of the final details, most of the required changes have been completed and are locked in. Our State Coordinators are hard at work putting the finishing touches on the stops in their respective areas. We even have something new planned for Fort Sill but you will have to keep checking future newsletters to find out more! Your AAR’s from 2024 have also been extremely helpful in making changes and adjustments where needed. A big thank you to our State Coordinators for their continued hard work and dedication in making each year better than the last.
Two months have passed since Registration opened and I am happy to say that Midway’s numbers are inline with where we have been tracking at this same time over the last couple of years. If you have not yet registered, please do so. This not only helps our State Coordinators with numbers for meals, support, etc but also allows our Platoon Coordinator JavaJoe to start working with the Platoon Leaders on Platoon assignments. Click here to register today!
Our teams are shaping up well but we could use a few more volunteers. Staging team, Medical team, Merchandise Team and Registration Team Lead are positions that we need to fill soon. Each plays a critical role in completing our Mission and Midway needs you to help make this happen. To find out more as well as complete the Volunteer Signup Form click here. Feel free to reach out to me directly if you have questions or want to know where your skills would best fit. You can find my contact info as well as our Team Leaders here.
A few have asked about hotels. The 2025 hotel list will be released on January 1st. There is a great deal of work and coordination that goes into this. A huge thank you to the State Coordinators and Jerry “Corps” Wilkins for all you do to make this happen. Jerry has also locked in camping areas however we need someone who is going All the Way and is camping to step up as the point of contact/coordinator to assist our campers. You can sign up here for this role.
To our FNG’s, welcome! We are excited to have you join our family. In the coming weeks you will be hearing from Roger “Bullseye” Ford, Midway’s FNG Coordintor, who will be setting up some calls to help familiarize you with Run For The Wall and what to expect during the ride. I would also recommend checking out the RFTW Forum. There is a lot of useful information housed here: from those looking to share a room to help cut travel costs, to general information for FNG’s, to various meetups across the country. Another great source of information is the RFTW Podcast hosted by Hitch and Boots. They do a great job and have a mix of special guests that help provide different perspectives on the Run. You can listen to the various episodes on YouTube here. Be sure to Bookmark each for future reference! As you find out more about our Mission you will hear about The Missing Man Formation. “The Missing Man Formation is a rolling salute to honor the memory of the fallen, KIA, MIA, or POW. Five bikes ride in formation with a space where one bike should be, symbolizing the person’s absence. On each leg of each route we honor a different individual in the Missing Man Formation. There is a short ceremony just prior to the departure of the pack and we SAY THEIR NAMES so that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.” If there is a hero you would like to ride for please let your Platoon Coordinator (they will be reaching out to you soon for introductions) know so that they can get you connected with our Missing Man Coordinator Alan “Rocketman” Farmer.
Speaking of the Forum, thanks to Central Route Coordinator Kirk “Pretty Boy” Olson for creating a few videos around setting up and programming the GMRS radios that all four Routes Leadership and Road Guards are moving to this year. If you are a rider and want to listen in, check out the Forum as well for which radios are recommended based on extensive use by a number of riders.
We only have a few days left for the MANNA Foodbank challenge before we send a check to them. MANNA FoodBank, located in Asheville, North Carolina, is a private, not-for-profit service organization working to end food insecurity in the 16 counties of Western North Carolina, including the Qualla Boundary. They have been an integral part of providing meals to those impacted by the devastation from Hurricane Helene. If you have not yet donated, I ask that you please consider doing so. For those who would like to send a check, please ensure that you make it out to Run for the Wall and in the For line put Midway – MANNA. You can mail your check to:
Run for the Wall Inc.
50 Fourth Ave Unit 1445
Dayton, NV 89403
For those whose bank uses Zelle and you would like to donate that way, mark your donation to midway.route@rftw.us. Please be sure to include Midway – Manna in the For line as well. If you prefer to donate via the RFTW website, please make sure you click on Midway in the drop down as well as check the box for “I wish to make this donation in the name of/or on behalf of another individual” and enter Midway-Manna under “Individual’s Name”. Let’s show Asheville how much they mean to us.
“To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.” This is why we ride. Together let’s make 2025 a year to remember and give our Vietnam Veterans the WELCOME HOME they so deserved 50 years ago.
Say their names. Tell their stories. Never forget. Never give up hope.
Until they all come home…
Eric “Pitch” Fort
Route Coordinator – Midway 2025
