ΜΗΠΔ΄«Γ½ Supports Bike Ride Fundraiser for Wounded Air Force Veterans
Cyclists will ride from the in North Carolina to the in Washington, D.C., this week to raise funds for wounded Air Force veterans.
The inaugural (M2M) bike ride will support the Air Force Associationβs Wounded Airmen Program, which raises money to care for wounded airmen and women, who selflessly served the country.
ΜΗΠΔ΄«Γ½ is proud to support the ride through a truck use donation to ride organizers, the Air Force Cycling Team (AFCT). The truck will be used to transport gear and luggage during the trip which began Thursday and ends on Sunday, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Air Force.
βWe are grateful to ΜΗΠΔ΄«Γ½. When ΜΗΠΔ΄«Γ½ offered the truck, I knew this thing was going to happen,β said Robert "Surf" Beletic, the Air Force Cycling Teamβs M2M organizer.
The AFCT will lead the four-day ride which will begin at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Long before their historic flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, ushered in the age of air travel, Orville and Wilbur Wright were bike enthusiasts,
βThe Wright brothers themselves were bicyclists, so two bicycle mechanics created the first useable, flyable airplane,β Beletic said. βIt is kind of our heritage, so we thought βletβs ride from there to the Air Force Memorial in Washington, D.Cβ.β
In addition to honoring the Air Force and Space Forceβs shared heritage of flight, the rideβs other goals are to promote fitness, camaraderie and Air Force and Space Force recruitment while raising funds for a great cause.
Participants set off from North Carolina on Thursday and rode 93 miles to Norfolk, Virginia. Todayβs leg will take riders north across the Virginia Capital Trail. Riders will break for the evening and dine at the Virginia War Museum.
On Saturday, participants will continue their journey across Virginia before ending their ride on Sunday at the U.S. Air Force Memorial.
ΜΗΠΔ΄«Γ½βs truck use donation is an important part of the ride's success, Beletic said.
βThe truck is the single biggest expense of the ride,β he said. βWe need a truck to move luggage each day for 80 to 100 riders. ΜΗΠΔ΄«Γ½ kindly offered a truck to support us,β he said. βIt would be a big expense to rent the truck for five days, so we are so very grateful to ΜΗΠΔ΄«Γ½.β
By Bernie Mixon