By Chase Holmes, News Reporter
TRUSSVILLE – The 33 Run for the Wall (RFTW) Southern Route passed through Trussville underneath the Deerfoot Parkway overpass on Tuesday, May 23 at around noon.
Over 600 motorcycles passed through Trussville on their way to Washington to visit several Veterans and Memorial sites and to recognize Memorial Day. The bikers have spent the past several days traveling from Los Angeles. A crowd of citizens, veterans, bikers and first responders watched from above while holding American flags and bearing pins marking the occasion. Firefighters from both Trussville and Center Point’s fire departments brought in a firetruck from each department and used their ladders to display a giant American flag.
Travelers, truckers, and motorcycle enthusiasts alike laid on their horns as they passed under Deerfoot in a show of support. As those gathered waited on the main convoy to pass through, several fleets of ambassadors and scouts waved as they rode on and some took exit 143 to join the onlookers for a short time before continuing on with their duty.
When the main convoy arrived it took several minutes for the final bike to roll under Deerfoot.
Run for the Wall was created to promote healing for veterans as well as to honor those who were killed in action and members of the armed forces still considered missing in action.
Pepper Loveless, a seven year rider, organizer and veteran, was thankful for those who came out to support the vets.
“We haven’t forgotten,” he said. “We got 600 bikes coming through and this lets the families of those MIA and KIA know that we haven’t forgotten them and we support them.” Loveless, along with dozens of supporters, waved to the bikers, both the advance team and the main convoy, as they came through.
Riders participating in the Run for the Wall had been on the road for seven days with several more to go until they reached their final destination in Washington. The organization has been active since 1989 and has made their yearly run almost unbroken except in 2020 and 2021 when it was not possible to run due to the pandemic, resuming again in 2021. Once they were able to ride again, the RFTW resumed its goal of ‘1 Mission, 4 Routes”. Recently, the organization expanded into a new chapter that is more inclusive of Middle East Conflict veterans.
In addition to the Southern Route, the RFTW also includes the Central and Midway routes. After the Memorial Day ceremonies are complete, a separate fourth route will begin its journey to Marseilles, IL to pay their respects to the Middle East Conflict wall memorial.
Loveless said they plan to make the annual event marking the passing of the RFTW through Trussville even bigger next year.
More information about the RFTW can be found on their website by clicking the link here.