The Seventh Annual Riding For Warriors six-day motorcycle ride will kick off Aug. 21 in New York City, benefiting Hope For The Warriors and its Warrior’s Wish program. This year’s ride will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
For the seventh year, the ride will be led by U.S. Air Force veteran and Hillsborough-based Michael Nehlsen and eight of his friends and sponsored by Union-based Hillmann Consulting.
The six-day journey will take Nehlsen and his fellow riders to visit Sept. 11 memorials and monuments and places related to Sept. 11, to remember and honor.
Celebrating 15 years of service, Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit that assists veterans, service members and military families with a variety of programming including clinical health and wellness, sports and recreation and transition services, according to information provided by Hope For the Warriors.
Through one of its first established programs, Warrior’s Wish, Hope For The Warriors fulfills a desire for a better quality of life or supports a quest for gratifying endeavors for those who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty, according to the statement.
With a goal of $50,000, Nehlsen is raising funds to support the Warrior’s Wish program.
“This year we are riding in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11,” Nehlsen said in the statement. “That fateful day we witnessed tragedy, grief and great loss, along with hope and the insurmountable spirit of people and our nation. We witnessed greatness in the first responders, rescue workers, and defenders of our country.
“After Sept. 11 many felt called to service to defend our nation and our freedoms. Our armed forces and their families sacrifice to serve and protect us every day, to allow us to wake up in a country where we are safe and free. Veterans helping veterans is what this ride is about for me, giving back to those who sacrifice so much and making sure of ‘No Man Left Behind,’ ” he said.
In six years, Nehlsen has traveled nearly 30,000 miles on his motorcycle, raising over $150,000 for Warrior’s Wish, providing wounded veterans with woodworking and farm equipment, family trips, a horse trailer, a bass boat, bicycles and more, according to the statement.
“As Hope For The Warriors gets ready to commemorate 15 years as a veteran service organization on Sept. 11, 2021, we couldn’t be more honored for Michael to embark on his seventh straight year of Riding For Warriors,” Robin Kelleher, co-founder and president of Hope For The Warriors, said in the statement. “Each year of the past rides have been special but we’re excited to ride along with Michael as he commemorates Sept. 11.”
Key sponsors for Riding For Warriors include Hillmann Consulting LLC, Bill Nelson, Schilke Construction Company, JAK Solutions, Enviropore, Nouveau Elevator Company, The Smoot Grasman Group LLC, Nouveau Elevator, PAR Environmental Corporation, PAL Environmental Services, JVN Restoration Inc, Degmor Environmental Services LLC, Champion Elevators, AMS Corp and MG Engineering (MGE).
For more information on Riding For Warriors or to make a donation, visit https://support.hopeforthewarriors.org/event/7th-annual-riding-for-warriors/e319457.
For more information on Hope For The Warriors, visit hopeforthewarriors.org
