Honor Flight fundraiser

BREWSTER – Last Saturday morning, June 22, more than a dozen motorcycles departed the headquarters of American Legion Columbia Post 97 and headed east toward Bridgeport on State Route 173. But before they left the post, the 16 riders each donated $20 for a five-card poker hand as part of the Honor Flight fundraiser that was the object of the trip. Each rider next pulled a card out of the deck bag as the first of a five-card hand each would build at stops along the route.

The group’s first stop on the road was just beyond 50 miles east at the Electric City Bar & Grill, at 2 Coulee Blvd. in Electric City. There the second of five cards were drawn from the deck bag before the bikers headed to their second stop nearly 26 miles south on State Route 155.

Big Wally’s at 9944 US-2 in Coulee City was the Legion Bikers’ turn-around point and the drawing for the third card of the five-card hand. The convoy returned over the route it had come, stopping at the Quik-E-Mart at 2606 Foster Creek Avenue in Bridgeport, and card number four. The leader with the best hand at that point was Frank Williver of Brewster who held a pair of queens.

The final stop was back at Legion central where a barbecue lunch awaited the hungry riders along with the drawing of the final card of the hand. Williver’s luck held and the and the queen pair took the top prize.

Ride captain Glen Harrington said the trip proceeds together with two generous donations of $100 each from the Brewster Grange and Marge Hagy allowed the Legion to write a $400 check for the Honor Flight campaign.

Established in 2005, the non-profit Honor Flight Network “transports American veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials dedicated to honor the service and sacrifices of themselves and their friends,” according to its website. To learn more about the campaign or to donate, visit honorflight.org.

Harrington said his group plans another ride on Sept. 14, when they will join the Samaritan Riders of Washington State for their current fundraising cause.