CULLMAN – On Saturday, more than 100 motorcycle riders from multiple organizations descended on Cullman for the Sixth Annual Wounded Veterans Ride, a charity ride to support veterans’ causes. Starting at Freddie Day Catering’s parking lot, 108 motorcycles and their riders made a 74-mile route through Cullman and Morgan counties, escorted by deputies from the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office. They finished their ride back where they started, eating lunch served by the caterer. Event hosts, the Alabama division of Sons of Liberty Riders (SOLR), also held a 50/50 raffle and raffled numerous items, including an AR-15 rifle from Wilborn Outdoors.
SOLR District 2 head Becky “Wonder Woman” Fortner explained, “We’re actually splitting the money between three charities: the Gary Sinise Foundation, Three Hots and a Cot, and Still Serving Veterans. We had a ton of folks show up today; it’s amazing, so much fun!
“Anybody could come out. We had the trikes, motorcycles, slingshots. It’s a great time to come out and support our veterans. A lot of our (SOLR) members are veterans, and a lot of the riders are veterans, so that’s what we’re here for.”
The Gary Sinise Foundation provides entertainment, education and relief services to military personnel, veterans and first responders. (www.garysinisefoundation.org)
Three Hots and a Cot is a Birmingham-based charity working to help homeless veterans find permanent homes. (www.cotsforvets.org)
Huntsville-based Still Serving Veterans helps veterans transition out of military life, helping with job searches and applications for veterans’ benefits. (www.ssv.org)
Participating organizations included:
- Sons of Liberty Riders (host group)
- Christian Motorcycle Association
- Blue Knights
- Blue Regulators
- Swamp Rats
- Heart of Dixie Spyder Riders
- Armed Forces of America Motorcycle Club
- Indian Riders
- Faith Riders
- Paladins
This is the sixth annual charity ride hosted by the local SOLR chapter. Alabama SOLR President Joe “Papa” Alverson talked about how the event came to be.
“Two presidents ago came up with it, and we’ve just continued it,” said Alverson. “It was originally designed for Wounded Warriors, but we had a little issue with not enough of the money going to the charity, and more going to overhead, so we decided to do local charities. Now, this year we helped Gary Sinise, which is not a local charity, but he’s pretty famous for the stuff he does for veterans.
“Off of the registration alone, we’ve raised a little over $3,600 that will be split equally through the charities.”
That amount does not include money from the raffles.
Fortner posted on the event’s Facebook page Saturday afternoon, “We had 108 bikes today and raised right at $5,000! Thanks so much for supporting our veterans!”
For more information on the Sons of Liberty Riders, visit www.americanlibertyriders.ning.com/group/alabamalibertyriders.
Copyright 2017 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
