Your PA Legion Riders Providing Year Round Support for Our Veterans
written by Phil Campbell
So, what do the Riders do in the “off season” aka Winter? This was a question that I was recently asked when I was working to recruit a Veteran to join the Legion and the Legion Riders. I want to preface this by saying that we have Riders who ride year-round here in PA if there is not snow, rock salt and ice on the ground.
When the weather is not ideal for riding, the mindset of the Riders just changes in the way we support our Legions, Veterans and communities. You should not be surprised to see Riders in their vests outside of your local Walmart ringing a bell on behalf of the Salvation Army around Thanksgiving.
How many of your Rider chapters set up Toys for Tots boxes in your Post to help collect toys for the underprivileged youths in your communities? It is something we like to do.
Rider Breakfasts, Chili cookoffs, crazy bingo events, paint nights and diverse types of raffles are very popular events for Riders to host in the “off season” to raise money for our Veterans. The “off season” is also a time where chapters make more visits to the Veteran Administrations to visit those who served our country.
The Wreaths Across America Program is very well-known and respected. The organizers at Ft. Indiantown Gap needed additional help to lay wreaths. The Riders did one better and “adopted” a section at the Ft. Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
Section 35 is now the PA American Legion Riders section for Wreaths Across America and we invite all members of our Legion family and their families and friends to come and support us with this effort.
On New Year’s Day, our Mt. Joy Chapter with an assist from the Elizabethtown Riders and Post hosted the Annual Frosty Balls & Frozen Susie’s Benefit Ride. This ride used to be hosted by another organization, but our Mt. Joy Riders took it over this year. Approximately 450 riders showed up on this chilly day and a check in the amount of $40,000 was recently donated to the Lebanon VA because of this ride.
Members of Birdsboro Chapter 626 recently participated in the Road Guardian Course. This course is designed for Riders to learn how to assist other Riders in case a motorcycle accident.
Our recruiting efforts take place year-round around the state also. We may not be able to ride year-round in the State of Pennsylvania, but we will continue to support our Veterans, Legions and communities year-round, and we are very proud to do it.
Please don’t hesitate to ask your Legionnaires, Auxiliary and SAL members who are also Riders about the Legion Rider program. You may not see as many bikes in the “off season” but I guarantee you we are doing something for our Legion.
