12 05 24 We talk with Command Sergeant Major Retired Jim Wertman about the 24th Annual VetsRide org

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Kelly n Ash, Welcome on the phone. US Army Commands.
Sergeant retired Jim.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Workman, good morning, Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Very excited about Sunday because I looked at the forecast
and I know that the riders listen this. We have
had to put off the actual ride a couple of
times for different reasons, but this year you got nothing
but beautiful sunshine and a lot of motorcyclists ready to
go and people just joining in the caravan to make
sure we get all the gifts that are generated or
the donations online that you convert into gifts to get

(00:31):
ready for our big twenty fourth annual. You've been doing
this for twenty four years. First and foremost congratulations for
your leadership in this regard and thank you again for
heading it up well.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Thank you. And it's always a privilege to serve America's veterans,
and especially here in South Carolina that's so veteran friendly,
one of the best meteran states in the country, and
to be able to deliver Christmas to durn Ba and
their homeless shell there's making sure that every veteran has

(01:02):
a Christmas.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
You know you've mentioned in the past, Jim that for
some of these people, this is the only Christmas they're
going to have for whatever reason. They don't have any
family nearby that's going to bring them anything, not only presents,
even cheered anything. So this is a great opportunity for
a lot of us to say thank you to those
who gave so much.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
You're one hundred percent right. And every year when they
do to distribution, they'll do to distribution on Wednesday of
next week, and when they take the gifts to the veterans,
men and will say I can't afford that, and when
they find out it's from the community and that it's
for them for Christmas, many of them grown men and women.

(01:43):
We have a lot of women vets now, it's the
largest growing veteran population. They'll break down and cry, you're right.
Seventy percent or more in that hospital they don't have
any family here, or a lot of them don't have
any family at all. And the ones in the homeless

(02:03):
shelter are really just trying to get a grasp on life.
And we have had people that have came back that
we have given gifts from years ago that show up
over there every year to help thank the writers and
the community for given back that's the ultimate ship.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
And it's so easy to give because when you go
to vetsride dot org vetsrod dot org, if you want
to make sure the kids go with you to buy
gifts to make it even personalized, to show your support
for those who gave us the freedoms we enjoy. You
have a suggested list from men and women as you
point out, or if you don't have time for that, look,
we understand that everybody's busy. You can go to vetsrode

(02:44):
dot org and make a donation. And by the way,
I'll say it, because I'll brag about you all the time,
one hundred percent of the money given online or wherever
goes directly to the veterans.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
You're one hundred percent right. And we're over a million
and have in gifts now and working toward the two
million mark. And it's all because of not only the
motorcycle community, but our local community and our local businesses.
And let me tell you something that need this year
is even worse with the storm. We have a lot

(03:18):
of displaced vets that are in the homeless shelters. We
want to recognize them and we want to bring Christmas.
You can bring a gift by on Sunday where the
Carolina Hannah anywhere between ten and believe it too, bring
it by, look at the festival, you know, thank some
of the riders if you want, and put your gift

(03:40):
in the trailer. Love to have you.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Not only can people give online and come to Carolina
Honda right up till the day of there's other places
throughout the community where they can go, like all First
Community Bank locations in the Midlands, Columbia, Flag and Sign,
Palmeto Propane. There's just a lot of opportunities. We have
complete list up at vetsride dot org. But hopefully people

(04:03):
take advantage of that. Even if they can't participate on
Sunday in any way.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
They really can. And you know in ath and South Carolina,
you've got it. We got Sheeley's Barbecue this year, the
first time theyves came on board picking up gifts and
making a donation. Very frout of First Community Bank. Every
location is collecting gifts. So we're we're we're back. We're

(04:26):
going to have a great year this year, but we
still need your support. An example, Tuesday was the National
Day of Giving. We converted thirty nine dollars for being
able to help.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Our vet but we need a lot more, so, you know,
and to be clear, you mentioned a minute ago you're
closing in on two million dollars worth of generated gifts
and donations of the community, but that's over twenty four years,
so we need to we're running a little bit behind,
and we're encouraging people to make sure that you have
an opportunity, finding the opportunity to get online to make
a donation because, as you mentioned, when you can bring

(05:04):
a veteran to tears because you took the time to
give a gift. But I can't think of a greater
Christmas gift to give this year, and particularly for those
of us who celebrate the freedoms every day that we
somehow take for granted, and we think that again, freedom
ain free. Somebody paid the price, a lot of those
men up there and women as well, paid the price
for your freedom.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
So you can give it memory of a loved one
who served, maybe not even here anymore, because it all
matters and we really need your help again, don't put
it off. If you go to bestride dot org, do
it now. Make the donation. Twenty dollars helps a lot,

(05:45):
Trust me, and we get a lot of twenty dollars people,
but we had some business give twenty five hundred dollars
the other day. Never have even donated to the ride.
They understand the need.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
Well, that's fantastic news, Jim, and again, thank you to
you and everybody at Carolina Honda and all the other
locations that are helping out. And hopefully we'll get a
great turnout because we've got some beautiful weather coming this Sunday.
If you like motorcycle ride and this is a great
opportunity to be a part of something special at Carolina Honda.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
And let's not forget Geene Royer from All American Heating
and all then with the ride all twenty four years.
Could have never started it. He's a co founder. Could
have never started it without him in the very beginning.
He paid all the lot of the bills. He's one
of the most he is a veteran and he's one
of the one of the Fike communities hurt people that

(06:35):
everybody loves. He rides a different motorcycle every year. He's
a great guy. And you know, we also have the
Boy Scout troops that are going to be serving the
riders from ten to two we make sure Scouts get
involved so that they can go to summer camp, and
they have for the last twenty four years because we

(06:55):
did all the food for them donated and that way
there we know we can get those kids, teach them
about veterans, and get them going to the teach them
about veterans, and believe it or not, take everybody to
summer camp.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
That's great. Jim Mortman, thank you again for all your
efforts behind the scenes and being in front of the
effort to make sure that your leadership position has been
able to keep this going now for twenty four years.
Thank you again. We'll hope to see everybody Sunday or
hope to see people giving online. Thank you sir, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
Have a blessed day.