District 11 of the Virginia Veterans of Foreign Wars is sponsoring a charity bicycle ride, the Valley Veterans Ride for Heroes on Saturday, September 8 in Staunton.
This upcoming event will benefit wounded combat veterans and their families, as well as showing support for the sacrifices and commitment of our military. The event is a fundraiser to support Boulder Crest Retreat, which is a therapeutic and wellness center located in Bluemont for combat veterans and their families dealing with physical wounds and mental trauma of their war experiences.
The ride has two routes, a 50- and 24-mile, with start and finish at Gypsy Hill Park gym in Staunton. The routes go north out of Staunton and pass through beautiful rolling farm land and countryside with views of the Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. There are 6 rest stops/aid stations on the 50 mile route, each representing a significant military battle or campaign tied to Shenandoah history and the Augusta Militia/Stonewall Brigade/116th Brigade, giving the rider an opportunity to ride through history.
The American Revolution rest stop will be at the pre-Revolutionary home of Augusta Militia commander Col. George Moffett, who fought at the battles of Point Pleasant and Guilford Courthouse. Several Revolutionary War re-enactors will be there as well. The rest stop for Jackson’s Valley Campaign, near North River, will have re-enactors from the 10th Virginia Infantry. Other rest stops will be the Battle of Midway (at the midway point of the 50 mile course in Bridgewater), D-Day/Omaha Beach, Vietnam, and the Berlin Airlift & American Air Power. Registration and packet pickup is 7-8am at the Gypsy Hill Park gym, with opening ceremonies at 8 am.
In the start/finish area at the Gypsy Hill Park gym, we are sponsoring “Our Military Heroes and Profiles of Honor” an exhibition to honor our American military heroes and their service. In recognition of the 100th anniversary of World War I, the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and the VFW are co-hosting the visit of the Virginia World War I and World War II Profiles of Honor Mobile Tour, which will be at the Gypsy Hill Park gym in Staunton, Virginia, between 10-3.
The mobile tour brings an interactive exhibit, highlighting the stories of Virginians who served in these wars and enables attendees to walk in the footsteps of Virginians who served in two of the world’s greatest conflicts. As part of the tour, visitors are invited to bring their own WWI and WWII related photographs, documents or memorabilia which can be scanned for inclusion in the Virginia Profiles of Honor project, preserving the stories of our veterans for generations.
“Our Military Heroes and Profiles of Honor” is from 10-3 and is open to everyone in the community with several food trucks, static displays in the parking lot of vintage military vehicles to include a WWII jeep and more modern Army vehicles. There will also be displays and exhibits set up in the Gypsy Hill Park gym, portraying America’s military past, as well as an interactive WWI exhibit for children hosted by the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. Children’s games and face painting will also be available.
Food trucks will be in the gym parking lot throughout the event and a DJ and music will add to the festivities. “Our Military Heroes and Profiles of Honor” is free to the public and all are welcome.
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