You're Invited!: SOWW Special Open House Nov. 11th

It has been truly a blessing to see the ongoing transformation at Bull Run Warrior Retreat. 

Though this event is not a ribbon cutting ceremony, it is indeed a big reveal! 

Please make time to come out and see the amazing progress made on the retreat house before it is completed for our ribbon cutting ceremony in 2015. 

Serve Our Willing Warriors will be raffling off goodies and many local dignitaries will be in attendance to support our cause.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Will to Ride - SOWW Inaugural Bike Ride

We were rockin' and a rollin' on wheels October 11th for the Serve Our Willing Warriors Inaugural Bike Ride. 

As rain poured down our faces and sweat dripped from the tips of our noses, 52 participants pushed through what seemed to be the storm of the century on this gloomy Saturday morning.

It was a mountainous uphill battle . . . Literally! 

And everyone together, citizens and warriors alike, pushed their limits cycling along the windy roads of the Bull Run Mountains.

Some of the riders stopping for a pose at a pit stop.

 The 11-Miler team looked strong as they stopped for bananas and refreshments at their halfway point!

One of the wounded warriors from Ride to Recovery representing well!

 Some SOWW riders that chose to rough it through the downpour.

Meanwhile the 53 miler team had no time for breaks. 

They probably didn't even know the definition of  the word "break".

Wounded warrior team holding strong! 

No matter the trifling tribulations we SOWWers faced that morning, it was comforting to know that there was a rescue team in place in case anything were to happen! 

Our dedicated Rescue Squad rescued bikers near and far on Saturday. 

If it was not for them, many of us would not have been able to continue.

The trusty rescue squad on the ready for the day's events

We were also grateful to have our covert "Snack Team" prepared with all types of nutritious foods to fuel us throughout the race! 

Our dedicated snack team united and standing by!

This adorable family (above) that was enjoying the opportunity to get together and celebrate life; even by riding in the rain. 

(I should also note that this family rode together and personally beat my own personal record . . .  Even though the father was biking with two of his baby girls on board!)

Two very spirited cyclers taking a break.

With that said, it wasn't until a conversation that I had with this amazing wounded warrior that I jokingly asked " So, you won the race today right?" as I was asking everyone who had crossed the finish line. He simply turned to me and said, "Oh, no ma'am. Today we all won."

It is moments like these that truly get the heart melting just a bit quicker. And just as the grinch experienced Christmas morning; I think my heart grew 2 sizes that day. And for all of us at Serve Our Willing Warriors, our hearts continue to grow and grow with each event and each conversation that we carry with these wonderful service members and their families.

SOWW Treasurer and daughter taking momentary cover from the weather.

Special thank you to Stacey Plaugher for putting this event together! 

We could not have done it without her. 

We look forward to many more bike rides to come!

Stacey preparing to speak to the group of bikers in attendance at the event.

Enjoy looking at some photos below of what the trail looked like the day of the race! 

It was truly a beautiful scenic route.

Thank you for reading!

Have you seen our last blog post about the SOWW Golf Tournament? To read more click here. 

Willing Warriors take the Green

This past Monday October 6th Serve Our Willing Warriors' 2nd Annual Golf tournament brought together motivated golfers and socially responsible corporations to take a swing at bringing wounded warriors and their families to the Bull Run Warrior Retreat. While enjoying a day out on the green, golfers had the opportunity to network with other professionals and build camaraderie with 32 wounded warriors in attendance at the event.

One group of wounded warriors in attendance at the 2nd Annual SOWW Golf Tournament

With smiles on their faces, the wounded warriors and their loved ones arrived that morning ready to play and were simply happy to get outside of their medical environment. One family in particular shined in their enjoyment on the field and expressed their gratitude for allowing not only the warrior but his wife and child to be able to participate as a unit!

A wounded warrior alongside his wife and son on the 9th hole green 

This couple's son William had actually recently become famous in the local newspapers for having putted his ball perfectly off the green in a game of golf last month. Below is the shot that the front page under the Sports and Recreation Briefs featured with his beautiful smiling face!

Little William, age 3, in the newspaper prior to the SOWW Golf Tournament

Analyzing the green

Little William debating his next put

Nothing like the bonding of a father and son

It is smiles like these that keep Serve Our Willing Warriors fighting for these families and their quality time together. We would like to give a special thanks to SMGA and Ft. Belvoir for helping us organize the attendance of the wounded warriors' golf outing. We had some truly amazing soldiers with positive attitudes in attendance that made an ample effort to thank each and every person they saw sporting a SOWW shirt any chance they got. 

 

It is often said that "it's the simple things in life" that make it all worth while. Today, for the 32 wounded warriors and their families, it was the simple enjoyment of a day out on the green alongside their biggest supporters. Special thank you to Jeff Glenn for all of his hard work in putting together this event for us! Here is the star below with his SOWW team being recognized by the House of Delegates: 

Please enjoy our event photos below! 

FH. FURR provided a vehicle from combat recovery for all of our players to sign the day of the event

Wounded warriors of Ft. Belvoir up bright an early

The Moores ready to take on the green

These ladies are all smiles!

Never a boring moment with these guys

Lovely ladies of the green 

Wounded Warrior Don and his crew

Amazing view of the helicopter after the ball drop

Taking measurements to determine the winner of the $2,500

Event golfers discussing the top 3 closest balls 

Thank you for reading! 

Rainbow Riding Center Ribbon Cutting

Today was indeed a most blessed event that Serve Our Willing Warriors had the privileged to attend. This event was held in honor of the Rainbow Riding Center and the ambitious Debi Alexander. This is an amazing origination that SOWW has made plans to partner with once they open their retreat to the wounded warriors on Memorial Day 2015.

Debi Alexander giving a speech of dedication to all of the supporters of the project

The most gracious riding center was started in 1985 and was described as nomadic. This program simply existed only in the crevices of the county that they could afford to carry out their mission. Fortunately for us, today the Rainbow Riding Center is now fully established and stationed in the great Haymarket of Virginia.

Th handicap capable mounting facility at the Rainbow Riding Center

The ribbon cutting ceremony that they held today was accompanied by many community dignitaries that realized the gave importance of the mere existence of programs such as the Rainbow Riding center.

One of the most honored guests had been a rider with the Rainbow Center for a number of years and had been diagnosed with autism from birth. Below here is a photo of him giving his speech that sent chills down the spine of every attendee of the event. He quotes:

"Hello, I am a rainbow rider. When I ride I feel invincible."

With tears in my eyes I snapped a shot of him alongside his proud mother. This amazing facility is truly making a difference in such immense leaps and bounds. We wish the best to the future and success of the Rainbow Riding Center. Our future together looks to be very bright not only for us but also for the wounded warriors we plan to serve!

Davey's Battle Brother Ride

Serve Our Willing Warriors recently participated in Davey’s Battle Brothers Ride! They had a great turn out despite the wet weather that would have normally turned away so many. With 69 participants registered and ready to go, Serve Our Willing Warriors was the grateful recipient of the designated proceeds. The beloved Sonja Ruhren was the organizer of this event. Below is a picture of her and Davey’s Bike.

Following up to the event, Sonja shared a very heartfelt memorial about Davey and we would like to share below:

David’s greatest accomplishment in life was simply being David Alan Ruhren. A young man with a compassion for all living things and respect for all that came in his presence. A protector for all who couldn’t protect themselves and a friend you could always count on. His smile, sense of humor and gentleness could always make a bad day seem so much better. He admired and loved his grandparents with every ounce of his soul and held all members of his family dear to his heart. David Alan Ruhren is a young man who never had to debate right from wrong and would always give more than he ever took. This amazing young man will always be a blessing and a gift to the earth, but had more to offer and more things to do beyond than this planet could hold. His presence touched more souls than most will ever realize. He accomplished more in his short time than most adults ever will. His unconditional sense of self will forever be remembered, and his love forever missed. This is David Alan Ruhren.

This ride was in honor of this courageous soul who elected to protect our nation. We were so honored to be apart of this event. Together we are able to make a difference in the lives of the wounded warriors and their families all because of the selfless sacrifice of an amazing soldier.

May we always remember the sacrifice Davey made protecting our country and many more like him who together keep our nation safe. Davey was commemorated with the purple heart. 

Here are a couple photos we snagged from the event below: 

                

leftover merchandise is still up for grabs. all proceeds go towards SOWW

this is the specialty pin dedicated to Davey's Battle Brother Ride

such a beautiful site to see all of these men and women supporting the cause!

the whole gang together

honoring Davey

we owe all of our veterans a debt we can never fully repay. Thank you to all of those who came out and supported!