The American Legion Legacy Run Rides Again !
INDIANAPOLIS (April 11, 2007) – Consider hundreds of motorcycle riders on bikes of all shapes, sizes and colors roaring across the Great Plains, over the Northern Rockies, onto the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah and the deserts of Nevada on the way to Reno. Now imagine these riders to be American wartime veterans riding 2,100 miles to make possible a college education for the children of those who have died defending our freedoms since the attacks of September 11, 2001.
The American Legion National Commander Paul A. Morin will lead the second annual “American Legion Legacy Run” from The American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana to the 89th Annual American Legion National Convention in August 2007.
The American Legion Legacy Run will assemble at Speedway Post 500 next to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on Saturday, August 18, 2007.
Early on Sunday, August 19, the National Commander and the American Legion Riders will depart Indianapolis and head west, proceeding along Interstate 74 and Interstate 80 through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada.
According to Morin, the six-day journey, designed to raise funds for the American Legacy Scholarship program of The American Legion, is one way to show the American Legion’s deep appreciation for those who paid the ultimate price for freedom.
“As an unfortunate consequence of America’s war on terror, many children of our active-duty military personnel are now members of single-parent families,” Morin said. “In most cases, this also means their chances to attend college have greatly diminished. Children of military personnel who die on active duty are entitled to receive some money toward a college education, but it is not enough.”
The American Legion Riders’ goal is to raise $250,000 for the American Legacy Scholarship Fund.
“These funds will ensure that higher education will be a reality for these families,” Morin said. “Providing for the children our military personnel left behind is our civic duty, and an education is a powerful way to show our thanks.”
Morin encourages Riders from all points in the United States to join the Run either in Indianapolis or along the route to Reno.
“The ride will stop along the way for venues arranged by American Legion Posts,” Morin said. Tentative plans include visits to a VA medical facility in Iowa and another at a Native American reservation in Nevada.
American Legion Riders and American Legion Posts along the route will play an important role helping run refueling stops, coordinating with local law enforcement, and escorting the American Legion Legacy Run. American Legion Riders and all others who register for the ride receive the Run patch as well as a mapbook with information about exact routes, scheduled stops, timetables, daily maps, and checkpoint locations.
In Reno, the Riders will have time to socialize as guests of the Nevada American Legion Riders. The American Legion will also provide space for meetings and fellowship after all the assembled Riders ride together as a group in the historic American Legion National Convention Parade on Sunday, August 26, in Reno.
National Commander Morin will stop in every state along the route for promotional events and to collect donations from Riders and American Legion Family members along the way. He will also report the total of donations collected for the American Legacy Scholarship Fund onstage at the National Convention.
Commander Morin asks American Legion Posts and Riders from all over the country to conduct local or regional fundraising efforts on behalf of The American Legacy Scholarship Fund. Materials and information tailored specifically for Rider fundraising is available from The American Legion at the contact listed below.
Registration is open now at www.legion.org/legacyrun. Those who register will receive a special patch set and other registration materials. “We encourage all interested veterans and supporters to register in support of the Run,” said Morin, “to help us help the children of our fallen heroes.”
Riders Chapters and/or Districts may wish to register as a group to gain credit for a larger donation. For more information, contact Bill Sloan, Legacy Run Coordinator, at 317-630-1321, wsloan@legion.org, or write The American Legion Legacy Run, PO Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206.
Comments (3)
I can't wait to do it again.
Posted by Jeff Faires | 04/12/07 1:41 PM |
That was so awesome. Looks so fun.
Posted by | 04/13/07 6:32 PM |
OUTSTANDING from a retired GySgt USMC 1953 to 1975 we need more of this, let the public know the fate of knuckling under. They ran the war in Vietnam on lies and partisan politics. WE LOST. Lets not let it happen again...keep up the good work...I am retired and live in Mexico, Baja California and in the process of starting our own post so will makee our voices heard also,,,SEMPER FI
Posted by Walt Jones | 04/15/07 7:14 PM |