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Wounded Troop Ride to benefit Jammies for GIs

by jmaloni
Thu, Jun 3rd 2010 09:05 am
The Greater Niagara Chapter of the American Legion Riders is sponsoring Jammies for GIs by holding a motorcycle dice run benefit on Sunday, June 13, at the American Legion Post 1451 at 6525 Ward Road, Wheatfield.

Registration for the dice run begins at 11 a.m. The last bike in will mark the end of the run at around 4 p.m. Festivities include live music by Rip and the Bandogs, food, cash bar, door prizes, a 50/50 drawing and boot drive.

Jammies for GIs is a Tonawanda-based, not-for-profit corporation founded by Cheryl Lepsch, that accepts new clothing and personal items for direct delivery to American troops that have been wounded in the battlefield.

"When they are medivaced from the field, he or she is brought directly to field hospitals and then military hospitals without their clothing and essential items," said Lepsch. "It may be weeks before they can receive clean underwear or change of clothes."  Jammies for GIs was formed after her son became ill while serving overseas and was medivaced to a hospital in Germany. He informed his mother of the magnitude of the problem.  Jammies for GIs started delivering badly needed items directly to hospitals across the world, thanks to donations from Western New Yorkers and Lepsch's devotion to our troops.

The Greater Niagara Chapter of the American Legion Riders decided to help out this cause and began raising cash to help ship donations right to the hospitals and Fisher House, a national organization that assists the military (and their families) as they return from overseas.

"The American Legion Riders and the Legion itself has always rallied to the aid of American troops, and Jammies for GIs is a local organization that we could get behind with a tangible goal. We knew that we could make a difference in the lives of those that serve our nation and share our appreciation for those that keep America free," said Sam Reeder, president of the Greater Niagara Region ALR. "By raising cash, we can pay to ship items and buy more items, bringing them to Andrews Air Force Base in August and hand it to our contact at Fisher House and the troops as they arrive on American soil."

On the weekend of Aug. 20 to 24, the Legion Riders will escort Lepsch to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with the donations.

For more information on Jammies for GIs, visit www.jammiesforgis.org or call 695-6867. To pre-register a large group of riders for the dice run or for more information, call Reeder at 696-2512 or e-mail [email protected].

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