Press conference at Fort Wayne Veterans Memorial National Shrine by USMV MC NY4 & Riding For Our Lives.
4 bikes 4 veterans Skirt Storm for 700 miles into 4300 mile mission
July 28, 2014. Decatur, IN: The US Military Vets Motorcycle Club NY4 shirted, from NY to PA to OH to IN, for 700 miles the thunder, lightning, tornado watches, torrential rains of yesterday’s storm front crossing America to arrive safely in Decatur, IN,after only a drenching in the last 30 miles, yesterday evening. The veterans are riding out to Fargo, ND, for the USMV MC National President’s Meeting, then on to Sturgis, SD, and back home – a 4300 mile run to raise awareness, hope, and funds for veteran healing initiatives named “Riding For Our Lives: Preventing Veteran Suicides.” “Let’s get our veterans taken care of!” declares USMV MC NY4 President Bill “Bomber” Barber.
Riding For Our Lives is joined in Fargo, ND by national comedian and Navy veteran PJ Walsh of GIs of Comedy and Courage Continues At Home IV, with guest Mark Riccadonna of Armed Forces Entertainment and M.C. Kim Blacklock, for a Comedy Show for the USMV MC at the Holiday Inn Aug 2nd 7:30 p.m. See Courage Continues at Home on Facebook or www.HGFairfieldArts.org.
The riders will be holding press conferences along their route for all those interested in ways our communities can support veterans healing and prevent veteran suicides:
– Fort Wayne, IN, Tuesday July 29th 10am – Veteran’s National Memorial, 2122 O Day Rd.
– Madison, WI, Wednesday July 30th 10am – Veterans Memorial Park, 4601 Star Spangled Trail
– Agency Village, SD, Thursday July 31st noon Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribal administration building, http://www.swo-nsn.gov/
– Hankinson, ND, Friday August 1st 1pm 102nd St. SE, with estimated numbers of 90 other USMV MC riders.
Thursday, July 31st the riders will also be honoring US military veterans of Native Nations as they stop and gather with the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate on the Lake Traverse Reservation, honoring the SWO Akicita with a noon ceremony and H. G. Fairfield Arts hosting a community feed. Last year’s first Ride For Veterans Healing honored the Cheyenne-Arapaho in Concho, Oklahoma, en route to their meeting in San Antonio, TX. http://www.hgfairfieldarts.
Net proceeds from the Riding For Our Lives run and the Fargo Courage Continues At Home Comedy Show with PJ Walsh benefit:
*Semper Fi Odyssey, a transition program for wounded or ill discharged veterans at Outdoor Odyssey in PA run by MGen T.S. Jones (USMC, RET).http://www.youtube.com/watch?
*American Legion Posts’ Welfare and VFW Relief Funds for local veterans’ needs of food, clothing, shelter, & access to medical care.
*“The Road to Healing” veterans film project and the Veterans Healing Program of H. G. Fairfield Arts which partners up health practitioners with veterans needing care.“The Road to Healing: NY to OK” on H. G. Fairfield Art’s YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/
The riders thank Pepsi & Enterprise & everyone for their support. 700 miles into the first leg of Riding For Our Lives, the odd coupling of the USMV MC NY4 and an arts organization, is led by H. G. Fairfield Arts’ Founder, Kathie Freston (USMCR 1953-64). Kim Blacklock, Pres. H. G. Fairfield Arts and Support Truck driver states: “The power of arts and culture as economic engines, healing engagements, and community builders is glue for us humans. Having one of the oldest living female Marines for a boss means we get things done. The old Community barn raising is what we can apply to getting our veterans taken care of. Comedy Shows and other events can help raise the funds and the awareness of how to get things done. The discipline of the USMV MC is exemplary in revealing how veterans continue to serve our communities and it works with HGF’s motto is “See a Need; Fill it.”
“It all fits together when there is a common focus. Semper Fi Odyssey is a perfect example of what works, which is why we are benefitting and also bringing attention to MGen T.S. Jones’ great program free to wounded discharged veterans and life changing. The goal is to help our returning veterans reintegrate into civilian life successfully. Arts, Culture, Science, Compassion, Communities, and Work can move mountains;” says the 6’7” CEO of H.G. Fairfield Arts organization; “My dad is a 280” lb Samoan veteran of the Korean War & US Army. We got up to breakfast calls of “Front & Center!” You learn how to get things done in a military influence. We must take care of our veterans if the companies who use them won’t and the VA & Government can’t because of money or care standards or out sourcing our VA Medical Centers to private companies, or whatever the cause: they are our family members and together we can figure care out by enlisting those in our communities with the skills. That’s what Riding For Our Lives is doing; preventing veteran suicides by caring.”
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For more information contact Office@HGFairfieldArts.org or usmvmcny4@yahoo.com
or call Lisa at 845-978-4666 or Kim at 914-309-4887