Happy Labor Day to all you Servers and SOWWers out there!
It is hard to believe we are in the final days of summer . . . This year seems to be moving faster than most. Or maybe we have just been moving faster! We sure have had a lot going on this summer and before we plunge into Fall, we just wanted to take a moment to relish all that has been accomplished in these past few months.
On May 9th, the predominant and unmistakable sound of Harley Davidson motorcycles fired up for the beginning of a scenic ride through the roadways of Prince William and Loudoun Counties. At one point, the riders streamed by our Bull Run Warrior Retreat property as they were greeted by members and volunteers from SOWW cheering them on and waving the stars and stripes as they passed the front entrance of the retreat.
The ride was followed by a cookout and a time of
camaraderie, fellowship, and enjoyment.
Typically, many of our motorcycle rider participants are now very active
in supporting our country’s Wounded, Injured, and Ill (WII) military
troops. We look forward to next
year’s ride to be on a much grander scale.
Here are a few scenes from our first "Ride With Warriors". Many thanks to Park Valley Church for the use of their parking lot where warriors + riders were able to meet and eat and start their engines!
After our inaugural Motorcycle event was over, we really rolled up our sleeves and really got to work for the summer. It was finally time to get started on the yard work and construction at Bull Run Warrior Retreat.
Dozens of individuals, families, businesses, girl scouts, and boy scouts have helped in just about all aspects of grounds maintenance as well as demolition and construction work involving the existing house structure. It's been a time of lots of elbow grease, mixed with fun and inspiration for everyone involved.
Volunteers of all ages worked with us throughout the month of June to prune trees, cut grass, paint fencing, plant flowers and build a back deck onto the house.
At the beginning of July, we moved inside the house to start demolishing walls and tearing out old carpet. It was grueling work, but you would never have known it from the smiling faces on our incredible volunteers.
Our incredible SOWW Volunteers!
In addition to all the work on Bull Run Warrior Retreat, SOWW hosted our 2013 Annual Cookout in July at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center,
Bethesda, MD, and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, VA. This is an event that SOWW
has been hosting as a volunteer group since 2006.
About 40 SOWW members and volunteers (some of whom were entire families) staffed the cookout.
Many of our youngest volunteers were given the responsibility of serving food and
drinks to our country’s wounded, ill and injured warriors. Both the children and the service
members had a great time with many uplifting exchanges filled with smiles and conversations.
The members and volunteers of SOWW always look forward to
these BBQ events because we get to meet several hundred Wounded, Injured, and Ill
troops + their family members.
It’s a opportunity for all of us to sit down with the people that we are
commissioned to serve and just enjoy one another’s company. This annual event is a very small way
to express a very special “THANKS” for the service and sacrifice of these very
special people.
After a wonderful time spent with our Warriors + Families, it was back to work to get Bull Run Warrior Retreat ready for its first Open House.
A 'Meet-the-Neighbors' Open House held at “Bull Run Warrior Retreat”
On July 28, Serve Our Willing Warriors
(SOWW) hosted an Open House for the public at the Bull Run Warrior Retreat
property located in Haymarket, VA.
The event was attended by an estimated 150 people comprised of
individuals representing local families, businesses, churches, and other
organizations. Guided tours of the
retreat house were conducted as our tour guides answered questions about the
purpose of the retreat house and provided detailed information for the
renovations planned for the home for our Willing Warriors + Familes.
Graphics of the architectural drawings were displayed along with other
posters that included a list of our current sponsors, sponsorship
opportunities, and our fundraising goals.
The grounds of the property were beautifully prepared with outdoor seating and tables of food to be enjoyed with live music. However, Mother Nature had her own version of an 'open house' when the heavens opened up with a sudden downpour of rain that sent everyone scrambling for shelter. But the 11,000 square foot house was perfectly designed for such and occasion when it was built in 1977. The tables and food were quickly moved into the large garage area where members of SOWW shared their vision of a 'home away from home' for our Warriors + Families.
Virginia House Delegate, David Ramadan, representing the 87th
District, joined us and shared his moving story of what it meant to him to be an American and the gratitude and respect he felt for the great men and women that serve this country in our military.
Our deepest thanks to the many generous sponsors of Bull Run Warrior Retreat!
Everyone had a great time as they walked through the home and got to share the SOWW vision of a retreat for our Willing Warriors + Families. We were encouraged to meet so many folks eager to help with the house renovation in so many different ways.
The architectural drawings for the
retreat house will be finalized by mid September, and we will begin seeking
work proposals from contractors shortly afterward. We will be posting again very soon to update you on all the progress that was made inside Bull Run Warrior Retreat. We hope you will consider being a sponsor for this great service to
our country’s wounded, injured, and ill service members + their families.
In the meantime, we hope you will join us at our upcoming
Inaugural Golf Tournament
October 15, 2013 at Dominion Valley.
There will be prizes, a silent auction and a great cause to support!
We'd love to see you there!
Happy Labor Day!
Click on the link below to see the items up for auction!
www.bluetreemarketing.com/willingwarriors
(Our thanks to Dragon Ridge Photography for the photos of the Open House Event)
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