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American Legion
Legacy Run American Legion National Commander
Marty Conatser will kick-off The American
Legion Legacy Run, which will begin with a
gathering of The American Legion Riders at
American Legion Post 64, 602 S. Holt Road,
in Indianapolis. The riders will depart on
Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008, and thunder through
Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and
New Mexico to Phoenix and the site of the
90th American Legion National
Convention. The riders, many of them members of The
American Legion Family, will journey for
five grueling days to make possible a
college education for the children of
comrades who died defending our freedoms
since the attacks of September 11, 2001.
According to Conatser, the ALLR raises the
public's awareness of the honorable nature
of military service and is "one way to
show The American Legion's deep
appreciation for those who paid the
ultimate price for freedom." The 2008 goal
is to raise $350,000 for The American
Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund. "As an unfortunate consequence of
America's war on terror, many children of
our active-duty military personnel are now
members of single-parent families,"
Conatser said. "In most cases, this also
means their chances to attend college have
greatly diminished. Children of military
personnel who die on active service are
entitled to receive some money toward a
college education. It is the least a
grateful nation can do." The American Legion Legacy Fund has
already distributed $74,000 in scholarship
assistance to students since 2004,
including $36,000 in 2007. "We will ensure
that higher education will be a reality
for these families," Conatser said.
"Providing for the children our military
personnel have left behind is our civic
duty, and an education is a powerful way
to show our thanks." The commander encouraged motorcycle
enthusiasts from all parts of the United
States to join The American Legion Legacy
Run either in Indianapolis or along the
route. "The ride is open to all who are
interested in supporting these children.
We will pause along the way for rest
stops, meals and other events and services
arranged by American Legion posts,"
Conatser said. Tentative plans include
possible visits to military installations
and a variety of communities in states
along the route. The American Legion Riders and American
Legion posts nationally play a crucial
role by conducting continuous fundraising
runs and charity rides, operating
refueling stops, coordinating with local
law enforcement officials, and supporting
The American Legion Legacy Run with meals
and water. All who register for the ride
receive the 2008 Run patch set as well as
a mapbook with information about exact
routes, scheduled stops, timetables, daily
maps, and checkpoint locations. The
national headquarters has released a
promotional video asking American Legion
posts and riders chapters to conduct local
or regional fundraising efforts on behalf
of The American Legion Legacy Scholarship
Fund. Information and online registration is
now open at www.legion.org/legacyrun. "We
encourage all interested Legionnaires and
supporters to register," said Conatser,
"to help us help the children of our
fallen heroes." |