Click here for a link to the RFTW SandBox Route Home Page
Is it May yet? Yes, it is and currently we have 304 participants registered for the SandBox Route!
By now, many of the RFTW riders and participants of the Central Route, Southern Route and Midway Route have already begun making their journey to Ontario, CA for the start of Run For the Wall XXXIII. No matter where you join us or what route you plan to participate in, please travel carefully and safely. And remember – HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!!!!
Remember the Mission! Run for the Wall is 1 Mission, 4 Routes! That mission is:
“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.”
SandBox Route meetings
For those who have volunteered for positions on the SandBox Route, our meeting schedule in Ontario, CA is from 1300 to 1500 on Monday, May 15 in the Elks Roper Room. For some (me included), this may conflict with meetings for those of us on Southern and Midway Routes. The cross-country route meetings will take priority for anyone who has a conflict.
The SandBox Route will still have pre-run meetings on Saturday, May 27, in Arlington, VA from 1500-1800 at the host hotel. Meetings in Arlington will be for SB Leadership @ 1500, SB FNG’s @ 1600, and SandBox All Hands meeting @ 1700. Meetings, times, and location (large meeting room at the host hotel) will be posted in the lobby of the host hotel.
If anyone has questions about the SandBox Route while participating in one of the cross- country routes, they can contact any of the SandBox Leadership team listed on the RFTW website who may also be on your Route or you may contact myself, Darin “Lurch” Koch (Southern Route); Cornell “Thumper” Penn (Central Route); or Mary “Cupcake” Pittman (Midway Route) just to name a few of us.
SandBox Fuel Stops
W will have a total of 6 fuel stops during the day throughout our three-day mission. Unless otherwise notified, each of these gas stops will be $10 stops for all riders. ALL riders MUST fill or top off their fuel tanks before staging each morning. Whether you fuel up each night or each morning prior to staging is up to you. As on all 4 Routes, all riders MUST go through the fuel line and not bypass any of the daytime fuel stops.
With data we obtain this year, combined with data from our Inaugural Run last year, the incoming SandBox Leadership Team may be able to devise and implement a prepaid fuel plan for next year’s run!
Pennsylvania Turnpike Toll
On Day 1 of the SandBox Route, our journey includes travelling along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Last year our tolls were covered by a third-party company as a test of their new app; that is not the case this year. If you have an EZ-Pass transponder (east coast) you will be billed electronically through your account. Otherwise, the rest of us will be billed by “Toll by Plate” and each of us will receive a bill in the mail based off our license plate and registration. This toll (w/o an EZ-Pass transponder) should be around $11.10 per bike/car. Expect to receive your Toll invoice via mail approximately 40 days after we transit the turnpike. You’ll be able to make payments online, by phone or through the mail. A due date will be included on the invoice. Each vehicle is responsible for their own toll costs.
(for more details see https://www.paturnpike.com/toll-by-plate)
RFTW Guidelines, FAQ, and EIF
Everyone please take a moment to review the rider guidelines, frequently asked questions, and emergency information form (EIF). Every participant will be required to complete the EIF and have at least one copy “on their person” during the mission.
https://rftw.us/rider-guidelines/
https://rftw.us/frequently-asked-questions/
https://rftw.us/emergency-information-form/
Fundraising
The SandBox Route has multiple fundraising items being offered to riders, participants, and supporters from all Routes. Some of these items include those pictured below. Items will be available for viewing along with details of each fundraiser at the SandBox Registration table in Ontario, CA and Arlington, VA. All funds go directly to RFTW SandBox Route in support of the mission.
Don’t let our loved ones die a second death, Say Their Name!
Never forget! This is why we ride!
Please take the time to visit the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial page here,
https://middleeastconflictswallmemorial.org/ and become more familiar with the history of this memorial and the names included on this Wall.
Leave no one behind does not end on the battlefield!
If you or someone you know find themselves struggling with their mental health, know you can contact the VA Veteran’s Crisis Line by dialing 988 then press 1 or text 838255 and speak or chat with a qualified responder.
Darin “Lurch” Koch
SandBox Route Coordinator
