​STURGIS, S.D. – It’s called motorcycle therapy.

Veterans from all over the country rode into Sturgis Saturday to wrap up their multi-state motorcycle ride.

The annual Veteran’s Charity Ride honors our nations wounded warriors during a nine day and more than 1,000 mile journey.

The bikers in the crowd may have looked like an ordinary group of bikers at the rally, but some of the vets were on modified bikes.

Organizers wanted to be sure to leave no veteran out, even those injured in combat.

Veteran, Josh Stein is one biker that participated in the charity ride.

He told KOTA-TV, “Life after the military still continues, you have to find that passion. For us it was motorcycles. It gets us out of the house; we get to explore the country on the back of a motor cycle.”

The ride started in Los Angeles and ended at the Sturgis rally. Stein said it’s great to see what he has fought and bled for.

Source: http://kbhbradio.com/index.php?page=news-article&id=2216

image by: Sara Liberte

​By Katrina Lim
Bikers from the Veterans Charity Ride reached their final destination in Sturgis on Saturday.

Cpl. Joshua Stein, left, U.S. Army (ret.) and Cpl. Neil Frustaglio, U.S. Marines (ret.) will be piloting an Indian Scout Avenger Sidecar to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

HOT SPRINGS, S.D. (8/2/17) — When members of the Veterans Charity Ride roll into Hot Springs on Friday, they will be greeted by some familiar faces. For the second year, Southern Hills Economic Development, the Rushmore Region Economic Development Alliance and the city of Hot Springs will welcome the riders on their first night in the Black Hills.

The Veterans Charity Ride began Friday in Los Angeles. Twenty wounded and amputee veterans, along with volunteers and a support team, are traveling by motorcycle, trike and sidecar to the Sturgis Rally. Among the riders will be Hero’s Ride of a Lifetime honorees Neil Frustaglio and Josh Stein. The men each lost both legs while serving in Iraq.

The ride is a form of motorcycle therapy, and it brings attention to America’s wounded warriors. Supporters include actor Mark Wahlberg, comedian Jay Leno and Indian Motorcycles. Rushmore Region Economic Development is also a sponsor of the charity ride, and Hot Springs is a natural destination for the veterans.

“With the Veterans Affairs facility and the South Dakota State Veterans Home both in Hot Springs, we well know the sacrifices that our soldiers have made,” said Andrea Powers, executive director of the Southern Hills Economic Development Partnership. “It will be an honor to host these soldiers.”

The group is expected to arrive in Hot Springs from Denver late Friday afternoon, and they will attend a dinner in their honor at the Hot Springs American Legion Hall that evening.

“We are thrilled to be working with Rushmore Region, Southern Hills Economic Development again this year. Rolling into Hot Springs, aka ‘Veterans Town’ as our last stop before the iconic Sturgis Bike Rally is just icing on the cake,” Veterans Ride organizers said on the group’s website. “The town has been supporting our veterans for over 100 years. We couldn’t think of a more fitting way to start the ultimate Sturgis experience than right here in Hot Springs.”

Source: https://www.rushmoreregion.com/about-us/latest-news/rushmore-region-southern-hills-economic-development-to-welcome-veterans-charity-ride.html

​by Bryan Harley

It started 10 miles out of town. Tired from a hard days ride through some of the most majestic countryside you’ll find anywhere in the world, weary riders on the Veterans Charity Ride to Sturgis got a second wind from the stirring sight of American flags on motorcycles blowing in the wind and a welcoming committee standing roadside in full salute. Members of the Patriot Guard Riders and other local veterans had ridden outside of Moab, Utah, to honor the group as they rolled in and to escort them to the celebration waiting for the veterans at Swanny City Park.

On 28 July 2017 at 0815, Veterans from all walks of life converged together at Firehouse #77 in Sun Valley, CA for a ride in a lifetime across to #Sturgis2017. This will be the first noted point into the story behind the ride.

After arriving at the Fire House, both new and last year’s riders met each other with hand shakes and smiles. The news crew from the Los Angeles area interviewed them on their thoughts and excitement for the ride. The overall vibe throughout was happy and nervous. As the time grew closer to 0845, the riders packed up and took their last pictures. They placed their helmets on one by one in an orderly fashion and proceeded to line up. The guide waved his hand and then the motorcycles started.

​Eagle will offer up support for a group of wounded combat veterans when they roar into town Wednesday on board some roaring Indian motorcycles as part of the 2017 Veteran’s Charity Ride.

by Bryan Harley

It was a moment you couldn’t have scripted. On one side you had Scott Prothero, a World War II veteran who had fought in some of the Pacific’s bloodiest campaigns, including the Battles of Saipan and Okinawa. On the other was Josh Stein, a veteran and “Hero’s Ride of a Lifetime” nominee for the 2017 Veterans Charity Ride to Sturgis. Stein is a Purple Heart recipient from the island of Saipan who wears pride of his heritage in the form of a tattoo on his left hand. You could sense the mutual respect the two shared when they met in the form of a handshake, in the closeness when they talked, in the smiles on their faces. Just another one of those unforgettable moments the Veterans Charity Ride to Sturgis tends to create.

​Participants, including Keith Helfrich, center, prepare to depart the Veterans Memorial outside the Sawyer Building, Saturday, July 29, 2017, after an overnight stop during the 3rd annual Veterans Charity Ride from Los Angeles to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. Richard Brian Las Vegas Review-Journal @vegasphotograph

(Kyndell Nunley | KSNV)

LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) — Dozens of veterans are on a multi-state motorcycle ride honoring our nation’s wounded warriors.

At first glance it appears the group on this year’s Veteran’s Charity Ride to Sturgis is any ordinary group of bikers — but there is something more special here. Some of the vets are on modified bikes. Organizers have made sure to include all veterans, even those who were severely injured in combat.

Gayle Anderson was live in Burbank and Sun Valley for the “Veterans Charity Ride to Sturgis,” supported by Indian Motorcycle. Riders depart Friday, July 28th, 2017 on a nine-day journey from Los Angeles to the 77th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Rolling out on Indian Motorcycles, trikes and Champion Sidecars, the 3rd Annual Veterans Charity Ride provides participating veterans a chance to use motorcycle therapy as a way to decompress from the challenges of post-war life.