Ride 10,000 miles!?! A couple of
years ago I gave a presentation on Run For The Wall to my HOG chapter.
RFTW is an annual pilgrimage across the country for approximately 1500
riders from Los Angeles to the Vietnam wall in Washington DC to the
Middle East Conflicts Wall in Illinois. Towns and cities across our
beautiful country honor and give thanks to veterans from all wars.
Welcome home; thank you for your service!
After
my presentation Tom Hunter, a veteran of multiple Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge rides, and an
active member of our hog chapter, said “ So you like to ride long
distances, huh? So you ride 300 miles a day on Interstates, you get fed
by towns along the way and you stay in cozy motels at night; well let me
tell you about a REAL way to see our beautiful country and test your
motorcycle skills to the ultimate.” That night I told my wife (and long
time riding partner, Regina) about this crazy concept: One contiguous
ride, you have no idea where you’re going, you must endure extremes of
desert heat, freezing temperatures and inclement weather all the while
sleeping outside with your iron horse! That’s insane, man!
She
knows me well. She let the idea fester for a couple of days while I
watched multiple videos of past Challenges. Then one night she simply
stated “So you want to do it, huh?” Hell yes! I could not wait to put in
my application. My family cannot understand why Gramps needs all that
wind therapy. My non-motorcycle riding friends have no idea why a mature
levelheaded man would attempt to do such a crazy thing. Those same
people have no idea why I tortured my mind and body to by running (34)
marathons. Why? Because it’s there to conquer. Successfully completing
several Hoka Hey’s is my next challenge.
For
my fundraising charity I am proud to select The Gary Sinise Foundation.
After starring as Lieutenant Dan in the movie Forest Gump, Gary turned
his life over to aid Veterans and First Responders in a major way. Like
Gary, I too, am a non-veteran. But on RFTW I have the privilege of
serving Vietnam era Vets to receive the welcome home they never
received. I am challenging my friends to ride along with me by donating
1/2 a cent or one cent a mile to
donor@garysinisefoundation.org/javajoe10000.
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