Saturday, September 08, 2007

Friends Of Veterans Ride To WA Soldiers Home In Orting

Friends Of Vets showed their caring for the residents of the WA Soldiers Home in Orting Washington on September 8, 2007.  Look for Motorcyclist Awareness Project to be paying a visit to this veteran’s home approximately every six months.  We will also be involving ourselves in running an occasional bingo game for the veterans.  They really enjoy these games and we have lerned that this is something that interested parties can do to get further involved with uplifting the spirits of the veterans, so we are jumping at the opportunity to have a good time with them by doing this.  Yet another area where we can show some love to these folks is at Christmas time by obtaining a wish list from the administration of the home and giving gifts accordingly. 
Anyone who reads this and is inspired by what you see here.  Do not hesitate to research veteran’s homes in your area and see what the needs are of the residents of these facilities.  It takes some talking with the residents, as well as the administration.  We have found that the residents of the State run veteran’s homes need primarily personal hygiene items of every kind (including the cleaners and adhesives for dentures).  They also can use nice hand-me-down clothing and white crew socks are a big hit.  With what little money they have left after giving up their social security check or military pension check to the home for their keep, they have need for help in the aforementioned areas primarily.
The Friends Of Vets ride collected and presented a bounty of the needed items, but we did not think of the Fixident.  We will not forget next time.
Anyone who wishes to join un on our next trip to visit the vets please e-mail us to be on a contact list.  Anyone out of our Puget Sound area please find your local veteran’s home and visit.
At this point I would like to put names to the faces in this picture of our friends.
From the left-to-right as the picture is viewed is Laura Thorsell, Gerald (Jerry) Thorsell, Keith McCandless, Keith Birkhofer, Jerry Foley, Paul Burton, Dave Peckenpough, Nan Whitehead (Cagey), Lynn Dixon (me), Sharri Cressman with Don Cressman standing behind her, and last but not least we have Angus in the front (guarding the bike).

The Invaluable Behind The Scenes Support Personnel

We are fortunate at MAP to have a very generous and caring support staff who were invaluable in making the Friends Of Veterans ride to the WA Soldiers Home in Orting a marvelous success.  I would like to make it known who these individuals are.  For each MAP event we would like to list the names and sometimes a picture of these extremely generous and dedicated folks.  We would not be able to do the things we wish to do to support our military past, present and future without each and every one of these “invisible” persons behind the scenes, contributing time, effort and often their own money.  Hooah !!!  Pronounced “Ooh-raw” according to http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-12101.html
Pictured here is:
Christine Dixon on our left.
Keith McCandless’ wife Brenda in the middle.
Keith & Brenda’s friend Heather on our right.
Heather’s Son Angus in front.
Not pictured here but the fifth person from our right in the group picture above is the Owner of the Maaco shop Dave Peckenpough.
Not pictured here anywhere but hugely instrumental in the success of the 9/8/07 ride is Brenda’s Mother Ginger Sweet.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL OF THESE FINE PEOPLE.