20th anniversary of Legacy Run saw participants overcome tragedy to raise $1,011,563 to assist military and veterans’ children, Legion’s VA claims efforts.
Tragedy befell the 20th anniversary of The American Legion Legacy Run this year. On Day 3 of the ride, Assistant Chief Road Guard Michael Haas, a member of Arden H. McKee Post 128 in Sterling, Kan., succumbed to the injuries he received during a motorcycle accident earlier that morning on the way to Keokuk, Iowa.
There were tears and there was grief. But there also was a focus to complete the ride’s mission, which the Riders did, showing their resilience and dedication to both Haas and the fundraising cause of the Legacy Run.
After raising more than $521,000 during the five-day ride – which left Lincoln, Neb., on Aug. 23 and arrived just outside of Louisville, Ky., Aug. 27 – another $475,755 was donated Sept. 1 on the stage at the national convention in the Kentucky International Convention Center. And with another $14,058 raised through the Legion's peer-to-peer fundraising platform, that brought the grand total delivered to the Legion’s Veterans & Children Foundation (VCF) at more than $1 million – $1,011,563.
National American Legion Riders Chairman David Heredia Jr. said after Haas’ passing, a conversation he had with Terri Haas, Michael’s widow, made it clear the ride had to go on.
“After I spoke with his lovely wife, I knew that the mission must continue. And that’s exactly what we did: finish the mission in his honor,” Heredia said. “We finished the five days, nearly 1,000 miles altogether, and the mission in his honor. Because that mission – a ride, a legacy – is important.
“And we had to honor all those who lined up the streets, who carried the flag and allowed us to carry this mission, as we carried our brother in our hearts. And we now carry that legacy forward. So though we lost our brother along the way, we did not lose our purpose.”
On the stage of the national convention, the Department of Texas was the big donor with a check for $116,301. Other top donors on the stage included the Department of Iowa ($46,473), the Department of North Carolina ($36,000), the Department of Arizona ($35,464) and the Department of Missouri ($29,286). This year, 14 American Legion departments donated more than $20,000.
American Legion Post 491 in Bayport, Minn., donated $10,000 on Tuesday, as did Robert V. McMaugh Post 10 in Manassas, Va. China Post 1 added $8,000.
At the Legacy Run kickoff event on Aug. 22 in Lincoln, The American Legion Department of Maryland donated $241,000 through its annual Gold Star Legacy Run. And during the ride, another $70,819 came from the Wisconsin American Legion Riders’ Cruise for a Cause.
Through VCF funding, the Legion’s Temporary Financial Assistance grants feed and house children of military personnel and veterans facing urgent, unexpected hardships. These grants prevent eviction, keep the power on and fulfill basic needs to hold a family together through difficult times.
The VCF also covers training and accreditation costs for American Legion claims experts who provide free representation for veterans and families applying for disability benefits, survivor assistance, GI Bill opportunities and more.
American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley, a Kansas Legionnaire, praised the Riders for their dedication. “Those who knew Mike and rode beside him knew what he would expect of his fellow Riders: Finish the mission,” he said. “And that is exactly what they did.”
Before taking donations, Heredia presented Wiley with the flag he and more than 230 other Legion Riders and passengers escorted on July 4 from Pittsburgh, Pa., to Washington, D.C. The Sojourn 250 saw American Legion Riders provide the escort for the final leg of a journey that had seen that flag fly over the graves and memorials of U.S. heroes buried in cemeteries under the American Battle Monuments Commission’s care.
The flag will be put on display in the Emil A. Blackmore Museum at American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis.
“The significance of this flag, traveling through every state, every national cemetery and every U.S. territory, is amazing as we celebrate 250 years of freedom – a freedom of all of us have been a part of,” Heredia said. “Every mile that that flag was carried was carried with dignity. For those of us that took part, it became more than just a motorcycle ride. It was an honor, a responsibility and a reminder that while generations change, duties to country and one another never does.”
- Riders