I recently was part of a committee that formed the first Hero's Ride. Our goal was to raise money for the Disabled American Veterans. It was a pleasure to work with such dedicated people, many DAV members themselves.
Much of our group are Vietnam Veterans who consider 'work' a four letter word. They may be retired, but they work harder on committee after committee raising money for our Veterans than anyone I know. We had POW/MIA Riders and Patriot Guard members to round out the group, also dedicated people with a passion to help. I have learned so much from them all and they have become my mentors as well as friends. Although none of them knew Curtis personally, when I speak of him I sometimes see a tear come to the eyes of these sometimes rough around the edges men. Curtis was their brother.
We had a beautiful day for the ride. Not having a pre-registration, we were not sure how many bikes to expect, but one hundred bikes with 130 riders showed up to ride for our Hero's. The ride to Wabasha, up the Mississippi river on the way to Mazeppa, and back was beautiful. A band and comedian at the VFW ended a great day.
As I rode I thought of the men and woman who made this day possible. Not of the committee, but of the brave that signed on to do a job that few could do. Risking their health and lives so I could spend a day of my choosing. They deserve all the support we can give.
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