We Made IT...................
Well, as you know from our last blog we made it!!!!! After months of planning, training, and working on details, and four days of incredible rides finished with a donation to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. We raised over $72,000 dollars to aid our heroes who preserve our freedom.
I want to take this opporunity to thank everyone who was involved with this great adventure. From my team-mates, to Dirk Cowley at Sportsbaseonline, to the folks at the IMSFF,to our incredible support staff..Janine, Tami,my wife Kelly, Leslie, Larry and the two Austins, to our sponsors.....GODADDY, Specialized, DNA CYCLES,INKling, KFYI ( Mike and Bruce!!),our friends in the press....Jennifer, Richard Douglas, Cher and Kim,AZ Republic ,and Leapin Lizard RV Resort . None of this would have been possible without you. Each of these sponsors stepped in and gave and gave and gave more without ever asking for anything in return. They are all great Americans. To our donors......you gave even in the face of difficult times. We are thankful for friends such as you and we made this ride with you in our thoughts every day.
I also want to thank my family who have supported me through all of this. From 5am training rides, to missed soccer games, and to the trip itself my family gave thier unwavering loyalty and support. Whenever I needed help my wife and children have always been there to back me up......they are without a doubt the best family a man could ever be blessed with.
So, until next year....God Bless and Semper Fi
Outstanding job on the success of your ride!!! Truly amazing!!
Semper Fi!
GySgt Dennis Miranda
Team Esprit De Corps
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Thank You Sir......it was the experience of a lifetime and the absolute least we could do for those of you who take care of us everyday!!!!!!
We will do it again next year!!!
John G.
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Well, its July the 14th and we are well into our campaign that started on the 4th! So far...so good!!!! We are off to a great start with more than 26 thousand dollars being raised in the first 10 days! I think that is a great start and I am continually amazed at the generosity of Americans!
One of the traditions that has come with our ride is that each year we pick the names of several individuals who we would like to honor as we move through the campaign and into the ride. This year is no different. a few months back I had the great honor of speaking with a Marine Corps. Major who told me about four heroes that this country has lost to the war. He gave me the opportunity to go through not only military sites that described the individuals, but also through newspaper clippings and stories as well. These four individuals touched the lives of so many in so many different positive ways. We have decided that we will highlight each of these heroes individually over the next few weeks. Below I have pasted a copy of the email that was sent to our team, friends, and sponsors. Unfortunately, no email, no matter how well written will ever do justice to these great Americans and what they accomplished. We will however do the best we can and more importantly, we will never forget the sacrifice made by them or their families.
The first email is below;
Dear friends, Sponsors, and Team-mates,
As many of you know each year on the Ride for Semper Fi it has been our tradition to place the names of heroes on a wrist band that we wear during the duration of our campaign and even long after. These names consist of those individuals who have served with honor, dignity, and represent acts that have been truly selfless for the benefit of preserving the liberties and freedoms we all enjoy in this country. The purpose of the wrist bands is to give us all a daily reminder of the sacrifices that have been made and to remind us that our efforts will go towards honoring and helping those who have been injured or have given their life in the name of freedom.
This year we will be honoring four individuals who all have lost their lives on the field of battle. Their names are;
Major Ray Mendoza, Major Megan McClung , Major Douglas Zembiec, and Lieutenant Commander Erik Kristensen.
Under normal circumstances I would have sent this email out to everyone as one of the first events of our campaign. However, I must admit that I have struggled greatly with trying to find the appropriate words to use when talking about these great American heroes. The incredible accomplishments of each , the lives they touched, the leadership they provided, and the selfless sacrifice they each made could never be appropriately described in a simple email. Because of the great accomplishments of each of our honorees, we will be highlighting each of them in an individual email over the next several weeks.
When I read their inspiring stories I believe I have come to at least a couple of conclusions without having known them. All four were were incredibly inspirational people who had a deep belief in sacrificing for the good of others. They were all team players who were far more interested in serving the common good rather than just personal achievement. I think when I read about their lives and their beliefs that they would be proud of what we are doing as a team. I think each of them if they were with us today would probably meet us, shake our hands, and then ask what they could do for us.
In the Ride for Semper Fi campaign we will have the opportunity to honor their names, their lives, and the sacrifices made by them and their families. While our tribute may be small in scope I would ask that each of you wear the wrist band proudly. Tell donors and friends about the lives of these great Americans and most importantly, never forget!
I will close with this quote from Major Zembiec which was read during his eulogy;
Be a man of principle. Fight for what you believe in. Keep your word. Live with integrity. Be brave. Believe in something bigger than yourself. Serve your country.
My friends….this is our opportunity!
God Bless and Semper Fi
John C. Greenway
Chairman, The Ride for Semper Fi
www.therideforsemperfi.com
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