Thousands of motorcyclists hit the road to support veterans
The roar of thousands of engines filled the air Sunday afternoon as leather-clad bikers played Santa for Midlands veterans.
Sunday marked the 15th annual Vet’s Christmas Charity Ride and the largest yet, said organizer and Army veteran Jim Wertman. Between 7,000 and 10,000 riders attended – up from 6,000 in 2014 – ready to bring holiday cheer to veterans at the Dorn VA Medical Center.
Wertman founded the ride in 2000, alongside fellow vets Gene Royer and Earl Smalls Jr. The ride has taken place every year since, Royer said.
“It was really sad to see these vets in the hospital,” Royer said. “Some of them don’t have family, some of them don’t have Christmas. So we decided to start a Christmas ride. It’s been getting bigger and bigger every year.”
Many of the bikers also are veterans, he added. Royer’s brother, Dick Royer, served in Vietnam, and has been part of the ride since it started. For him, bringing Christmas to fellow vets is a way to show he’s got their back.
“It’s important to me to give back to the veterans, that the veterans don’t get treated the way we got treated when we got back from Vietnam,” he said. “I’ll be doing this until the day before I die, to make sure that new veterans and old veterans never get treated that way again.”
Accompanied by sports cars and Vietnam-era military vehicles, the motorcyclists made their way from Carolina Honda in Northeast Richland to the VA hospital in Lower Richland. Veterans welcomed them there, waving American flags.
Once there, the bikers formed a human chain and unloaded presents into a hospital room set aside for just that purpose. Tammy Finney, chief of voluntary service at the hospital, said the room usually overflows, and they have to find other places to put the rest of the gifts.
For those at the hospital who can’t have Christmas with family, Finney said the ride provides them support.
“When they would normally have family members and friends who would come and support them, if they don’t have it, this is an opportunity to feel an overabundance of love,” she said.
In addition to gifts, riders gave money, which Wertman and his team will use to provide whatever additional items veterans may be needed. Proceeds go to Dorn VA Medical Center, two VA homeless shelters, and a retirement home.
Anyone wishing to chip in can purchase a Vet’s Ride T-shirt from Carolina Honda, with 100 percent of such purchases going to charity, Wertman said.
This story was originally published December 13, 2015 at 6:22 PM.