By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The mission statement of Run For The Wall® (RFTW) says it all with quiet dignity.
RTFW MISSION STATEMENT
To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world.
Run For The Wall was started in 1989 by James Gregory and Bill Evans, two Vietnam veterans who traveled across the heartland of America on motorcycles.
The trip now is a 10-day ride from Ontario, California, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, where The Run officially ends.
There are three routes available, each leaving California Wed., May 17 and arriving Fri., May 26 in D.C after 10 days and 2,872 miles on the road.
Bikers on the central route will come through Hays Sun., May 21, eastbound on Interstate 70 after leaving Goodland that morning and stop in Bunker Hill at approximately 2:30 p.m. for fuel, water and snacks.
ABATE of Kansas District 6, which includes Ellis, Russell, Barton, Rush, Ness and Trego counties, will pay for the fuel pumped for the cross-country riders in Bunker Hill.
A donation fund, ABATE Dist. 6 RFTW Savings Account, has been set up at Equity Bank in Hays, according to Lou Ann Kibbee, a member of ABATE Dist. 6 in Ellis. The group has been asked to raise $2,500 to help pay for gasoline.
“The American Legion and Legion Auxiliary in Hays have already donated funds,” Kibbee said, “as well as the Ellis VFW and VFW Auxiliary. If the public donates more money than we need, it will stay in the savings account to be used for next year’s run.
“We found out recently the fuel stop in Bunker Hill is no longer sponsored and decided it would be a good project for ABATE,” she explained.
The regional ABATE chapter has already conducted another good project, an April 9 poker run which raised funds for victims of the devastating Kansas wildfires in early March. “We raised a little money for them and had a good time riding our counties out here,” Kibbee said.
ABATE of Kansas is a non-profit group which fosters, promotes and encourages safe motorcycling.
The Hays American Legion Riders have organized a local public greeting of the motorcyclists on the Commerce Parkway exit overpass as the caravan drives east on I-70, estimated to be shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday.
“It’s an open invitation to join us,” said Ray Palmer, Riders director. “We want to show our support of the RFTW.”
Palmer is planning for about 60 American flags to be spaced out and displayed on both sides of the bridge by the Legion riders who will be joined by motorcyclists from Norton, Larned and Kensington.
No public vehicle parking will be allowed on the overpass, Palmer emphasized. “We do what we need to to comply with the Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas Department of Transportation so we can do keep doing this every year.”
This is the 28th year of the Run For The Wall.
Palmer and Kibbee encourage people to recognize the riders anywhere along the route.
“If you see them, wave them on by and give them the thumbs up,” Kibbee said. “They’re on the way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. in honor of all veterans. Their motto is ‘we ride for those that can’t.'”
RFTW will stay overnight in Junction City.