President’s Message – December 2025

It is so quiet as I sit here watching the snowfall. Sometimes, this is one of my favorite times of year. Nature is sleeping, recovering from a season of harvest, providing us with sustenance and beauty. As the snow falls, the silence is so profound. Not a bird or animal is moving. For a moment, everything is at peace. But darn, it is cold!!

This can be a busy time of year for many, decorating the house and yard, visiting relatives, and maybe hosting friends and family. Thinking of those who are no longer with us, remembering the times we shared. While I don’t want to add to the list, this is a great time to start preparing for the upcoming Run. KSU is in 161 days – less than 6 months. If you listen to The RFTW Podcast with Boots and Hitch, Ted offers tech tips in each episode, focusing on keeping us safe and making sure our bikes and bodies are ready for a cross-country event. Riding on the Run is similar to any trip in that each rider is responsible for their motorcycle’s mechanical condition and the health of their bodies and minds. We should be working on both our bikes and ourselves so we can perform our annual Mission safely when the time comes. Yes, we have chase trailers, but they are meant to help ensure a rider can reach the next dealer. The chase trucks are not there to transport you to DC or back home. Tires, cables, lights, oil, forks, and loose bolts or nuts should all be carefully reviewed to help ensure your bike is ready.  Waiting until you arrive in Ontario is probably not a good option.  While the dealers in the Ontario area are very helpful, there is only so much they can do in the short time we are there.

The RFTW forums have been quiet; it seems folks wait until we are closer to the Run to start asking questions and sharing information.  But regardless of the time of year, there is a lot of great information in the various forum topic areas. As you begin your Run preparations, check out the forums for thoughts and ideas from your fellow riders!

Another item added to the website is our Events calendar.  Looking for something close to you? Check it out here!

As I hope all campers have heard, camping at the Elks in Ontario is full.  Registration for Run 2026 is open.  The rates were adjusted for 2026 as follows:

C2C

1. $100 – Early Bird
2. $120 – Regular Reg (starting Feb 1)
3. $100 – Day riders (up to 3 days on the road riding)

W2W

1. $40 – Early Bird
2. $60 – Regular Reg (starting Feb 1)
3. Day riders pay regular rates

Besides saving you money, registering early is very helpful to our State Coordinators. Those dedicated volunteers who work so hard to feed and house us need as much advance notice as possible about the number of riders coming. You can register on our website just as you have in the past.  On 1 February, the registration rates increase, so registering early is one way you can help us and help yourself.

As of this newsletter, the hotel list is still scheduled to drop on 1 January.

I hope no one has fallen victim to spam that frequents our email system. Please keep a few things in mind: A leader in RFTW will NEVER ask you to buy gift cards for them. We don’t do business that way. Every invoice is processed through our Treasurer. Bob doesn’t handle gift cards. More importantly, check the sender’s email address. We ONLY conduct business using our official RFTW email. You can help reduce this spam. If you get a suspicious email, especially if it’s not from our official addresses, you should be able to report it as spam or phishing through your email system. We encourage you to do so. Also, as I often do, my preferred email reader lets me mark emails as junk, and if I get another from the same address, it goes directly to trash. Another issue not related to email: protect your online identity by ensuring your user ID is unique and that you’re not using the same password across multiple sites. Using your firstname/lastname as a user ID might be convenient, but that’s the first step someone takes to hack your account. Even using lastname/first initial—or some variation—is not enough to keep you safe.

As we’ve recently publicized, we are still looking for a new Treasurer.  Our financial records are essential for our charitable ratings and IRS status. Although we don’t aim to make a profit (since we are a nonprofit), we are required to file taxes and an annual Form 990, so keeping accurate financial records is crucial to our continued success and survival. Bob Nelson, our current Treasurer, has worked hard to continue to improve our bookkeeping processes. If you’re interested in the position or in becoming an Assistant, please get in touch with Bob at treasurer@rftw.us.

POW/MIA Recovery Update (as of 2 December 2025): The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) continues its dedicated efforts to recover and identify remains from all conflicts.  As of this update, there are still 1566 missing from the Vietnam War, along with six missing from the Gulf War and Libya. Our four-part Mission begins with the call for accounting – those servicemembers are our friends, their families are our families, and they deserve our support.

Let us dedicate ourselves and our efforts and remember to keep our focus on the Mission. It is why we ride!

Staying focused on our Mission can be challenging at times. We frequently receive suggestions to take a stand on issues that might be considered political, but our 501(c)(3) status prohibits us from endorsing any particular political position. We work hard to remain centered on the content of our Mission Statement. Although some have tried to convince us that calling for accountability for all POW/MIAs is a political statement, it is not. There are no politics involved in demanding that our government honor the sacrifice of those who are unaccounted for; it isn’t a political matter. Believe me, the Board has discussed issues that could be beneficial, but we cannot pursue them without losing sight of our Mission.

As I wrap up this newsletter, we wish everyone a peaceful and joyful holiday season. RFTW is a brotherhood, a family, and we should keep that in mind. Regardless of individual beliefs, each of you is important to all of us…We care!

It is not the worst thing to die in war; it is not the worst thing to be missing in war. The worst thing is to be forgotten in War.

‘No one left behind’ is more than just a standard we strive to meet. It is a way of life. It is part of our Mission. If you or someone you know finds themselves struggling with mental health, please know you can contact the VA Veteran’s Crisis Line by dialing 988, then pressing 1, or texting 838255 to speak or chat with a qualified responder.