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CVO Social => In The News => Topic started by: skratch on December 12, 2018, 03:09:29 PM
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just got this email. sad to see it go. i've never been able to participate due to work requirements, etc. but had always hoped that 'one day....' well, guess that won't happen.
my suggestion? if you have something that you've been putting off for 'one day', don't wait too long, that day may just never come.
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The 32nd Annual Rolling Thunder Ride to DC will be the Last
December 12, 2018
It has come to our attention that the upcoming 32nd Annual Rolling Thunder Ride to DC (Run to the Wall), which has been held every Memorial Day weekend since 1987, will be the last. This morning I spoke with Pete Zaleski, Vice President of Rolling Thunder, Inc., who confirmed that what we had heard was true. We are told that the difficult decision to end the annual event was due to a number of reasons. One was the expense of putting on the event. Another we are being told was pressure from the Pentagon Police Department. The Pentagon parking lot is the staging area for the ride.
We have been told that Rolling Thunder, Inc. will continue to be active, and will continue its work on behalf of POW/MIAs, veterans, and active duty military. However, if you have always wanted to take part in the Annual Ride to DC, you may want to book your rooms now. 2019 will be your last chance.
Matt Danielson
McGrath, Danielson, Sorrell & Fuller
The Motorcycle Law Group
1-800-321-8968
Motorcyclelawgroup.com
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Still have 5+ months to plan for the last one.
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Just got the same email (see attached)…
:pumpkin:
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
:fireman:
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Was honored to participate in a RT ride. Very humbling experience and awe inspiring at the same time.
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Was honored to participate in a RT ride. Very humbling experience and awe inspiring at the same time.
I've been honored to participate twice. It is a very meaningful experience and i appreciate all those who have volunteered their time and energy all these years.
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Want to make it happen? Figure out a way for someone to profit from it.
If the Pentagon made money, if Arlington VA PD made money, if DC Metro PD made money, they would all support it. But duty, patriotism and respect mean nothing when it costs money to host it.
God Ble$$ America.
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This is very sad news. I have never had the privilege to ride in the RT.
Call me cynical by I smell a left wing agenda. Perhaps I shouldn’t say that here sorry if I over stepped.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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This is very sad news. I have never had the privilege to ride in the RT.
Call me cynical by I smell a left wing agenda. Perhaps I shouldn’t say that here sorry if I over stepped.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I don't think there's any agenda, left or right. I think it's purely driven by money, or lack there of. Like everything else it racks up costs from insurance to traffic control and street closures. No Hollister rally last couple years for the same reason, it costs the community too much to host. Same with the Love Ride.
Now if someone was to make money, maybe charge each bike $200 to attend, then maybe it would happen. That way you are "free" to ride and support our vets, as long as you pay $200. Just how things are done these days.
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Want to make it happen? Figure out a way for someone to profit from it.
If the Pentagon made money, if Arlington VA PD made money, if DC Metro PD made money, they would all support it. But duty, patriotism and respect mean nothing when it costs money to host it.
God Ble$$ America.
Pretty sure you nailed that one Mark.
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The flip side of the cost of hosting coin is to look at the $$$ the participants bring in to the local economy - lodging, food, fuel, entertainment. That has to be a substantial amount and many cities clamor for conventions that draw far less participants than the Rolling Thunder event.
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The flip side of the cost of hosting coin is to look at the $$$ the participants bring in to the local economy - lodging, food, fuel, entertainment. That has to be a substantial amount and many cities clamor for conventions that draw far less participants than the Rolling Thunder event.
I agree, that was the argument the local businesses in Holister made. Hotels, restaurants, shops, bars all depended on a good 4th of July rally. Didn’t matter, the city didn’t want to pay for extra officers, medical response and all of that.
This is what happens to law abiding citizens like us. Now if we were really free, we’d just say “Screw it, I’m riding to the wall to pay respects”, jump on our rat-bikes, meet up in a parking lot near the airport and just go, road blocks, street closure and motorcop flag escort be damned.
But we don’t do that anymore.
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I agree, that was the argument the local businesses in Holister made. Hotels, restaurants, shops, bars all depended on a good 4th of July rally. Didn’t matter, the city didn’t want to pay for extra officers, medical response and all of that.
This is what happens to law abiding citizens like us. Now if we were really free, we’d just say “Screw it, I’m riding to the wall to pay respects”, jump on our rat-bikes, meet up in a parking lot near the airport and just go, road blocks, street closure and motorcop flag escort be damned.
But we don’t do that anymore.
I went to the rally couple of times. Quite some time ago. As impressive and important to many as that event might be after that I never wanted to deal with the crowd again. So a couple of times since I've done just what you described. Rode back, collected a friend or two on the way, hit the appropriate memorials and paid the appropriate respects, visited my favorite bars or pubs in town without the huge crowd being there and then rode home. In other words with a normal tourist.
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I've done just what you described. Rode back, collected a friend or two on the way, hit the appropriate memorials and paid the appropriate respects, visited my favorite bars or pubs in town without the huge crowd being there and then rode home. In other words with a normal tourist.
Oh I agree, and it seems that's the only way to do it these days. But trying to do that with 30,000 of your "closest friends" will only bring the wrath of "the man" down on us and make all riders look bad. So what was once a large scale massive event all to honor our vets, is now a do it on your own.
Sad, but just the way things are these days.
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I'm certainly glad to have participated in at least one Rolling Thunder with my wife a few years back... Wonderful experience. :2vrolijk_21:
Was planning on going back in 2019, until we realized our flight home from England was on the Friday of that weekend. We figured no problem, we'll just plan on 2020 which seemed like a nice round number. Too bad now we'll be missing it then as well. :(
For those who have never been, I strongly recommend you get there in 2019. You will be moved.