If you happened to see a horde of motorcyclists driving Harley-Davidsons through your town at some point over the past three weeks, you may have caught a glimpse of the Great American Convoy. Concluding today after cruising from Arkansas up to Maine and then over through the Midwest, the epic motorcycle tour raised over $1 million for the Wounded Warrior Project.
Now in its fourth year, the convoy is the passion project of Adam Sandoval, an avid biker and philanthropist who’s been fundraising for veterans through motorcycle campaigns for over a decade. Sandoval didn’t serve in the military himself, a regret he said drives his passion to help those who did. It’s a principle he thinks all people should live by.
“The theory is if you did not serve in the military for whatever reason, that you should find time to serve those who did,” Sandoval, 48, told Nice News from a stop in upstate New York on July 2. “And that’s what we’re doing out here. We’re serving the men and women who served our country bravely.”
The tour, which kicked off June 20 and was presented by Harley-Davidson, saw bikers from all over the country join up to ride with Sandoval — sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds (the largest group he’s ever had was 2,000, he said). They stopped at dealerships and other venues along the route, meeting with veterans and, in some cases, the loved ones of those who died in service.
“It’s heart-wrenching to hear all the pain that is out there, around the sacrifices that are made, not just by the soldiers, but by their families. And it’s heavy,” he shared. “Every day I’m in a new town hearing new stories from new families, and it makes you realize just how much this country really has given so much for our freedoms.”
Sandoval said he enjoys working with the Wounded Warrior Project specifically because of the outsized impact the organization makes for those who’ve come back from active duty and are in need of assistance — many of whom don’t know where to turn, or even that they should turn somewhere.
“That’s a big piece of it. You know, a lot of these men and women who need the help will never come and find it on their own,” explained Sandoval. “And so it takes an organization like Wounded Warrior Project to spend the time and the energy to go into the communities, find these individuals that need help, and then get them enrolled and get them the help that they need.”
The people he rides with run the gamut from veterans themselves to friends and family members of vets to people who are just looking for a way to experience a mix of adventure and meaning. Those who can’t ride can donate and follow along with his endeavors on social media.
“I kind of call myself the Forrest Gump of motorcycles,” he said. “In the movie he took off running and people just joined him for as long as they could. And I kind of do the exact same thing.”
Donate at Sandoval’s fundraising link here.
Share to:
