Rotary Club of Central Bucks Awards Over $30K to Organizations

Rotary Club of Central Bucks recently presented over $30,000 in grants to local organizations that serve veterans and families of fallen heroes at a reception at the Plumsteadville Inn. The funds were raised at the club’s 9th annual Ride For The Heroes and Picnic, held in June. Ride For The Heroes is a police-escorted motorcycle ride through the Bucks County countryside and parts of New Jersey. The 2018 ride was cancelled due to rain but the picnic went on as scheduled with more than 200 people participating. Since the ride started, over $280,000 has been donated to local organizations.

Grants were awarded to 11 organizations whose missions range from sending out care packages to active duty military personnel to providing equine therapy to veterans. The organizations that were awarded funds are:

• Bucks County Veterans Transport, an organization that provides transportation for Bucks County veterans to the Philadelphia and Coatesville Veterans Hospitals. For information visit: http://buckscounty.org/government/CommunityServices/MilitaryAffairs/VeteransBenefits.

• Gold Star Mothers, an organization whose members are mothers whose children died during active duty in the military. For information visit: http://www.goldstarmoms.com.

• Good To Go Care Packages, an organization whose mission is to provide care packages to active duty military personnel. For information visit: http://www.goodtogocareboxes.org.

• Meghan’s Foundation, an organization that provides free yoga and meditation programs to veterans who are experiencing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For information visit: https://www.meghansfoundation.org.
  
  
• Delaware Valley Stand Down, a non-profit volunteer organization formed to provide assistance to homeless veterans. For information visit: http://philastanddown.org.

• Operation Eternal Gratitude, a student group at Central Bucks High School South that performs service projects on behalf of veterans and assembles care packages for current members of the military. For information visit: https://www.cbsd.org/Page/14765
• Operation Homefront, an organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families through relief, resiliency and recurring support. For information visit: http://www.operationhomefront.org.

• Shamrock Reins, an organization that provides equine therapy to veterans, their families and first responders. For information visit: http://www.shamrockreins.org.

• Tails of Valor, and organization that provides service dogs to veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and physical disabilities. For information visit: http://www.tailsofvalor.org.

• Bucks County Tour of Honor, an organization that raises funds to transport United States Military Veterans from the Bucks County area to Washington DC to visit memorials, buildings and other places that promote and represent the ideals of the United States of America. For information visit: http://www.buckscountytourofhonor.org.

• Travis Manion Foundation, an organization whose mission is to empower veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. For information visit: http://www.travismanion.org.

“This is the night that brings Ride For The Heroes full-circle, as we get to present proceeds from the event to a group of well-deserving organizations that help veterans and families of fallen heroes in our local communities,” said Chris Lewis, a member of Rotary Club of Central Bucks and one of the organizers of The Ride for The Heroes. “It is an honor to work with all those who volunteer to make our Ride For The Heroes such a successful event. We are committed to our veterans and the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self!”

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About The Rotary Club of Central Bucks:

Rotary club members are volunteers who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world under the motto Service Above Self. The Rotary Club of Central Bucks focuses on supporting Bucks County and the surrounding communities. The Club meets on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. till 6:45 p.m. at the Plumsteadville Inn, 5902 Easton Road, Plumsteadville, PA 18949. To learn more about Rotary Club of Central Bucks please visit www.centralbucksrotary.com.

Editor’s Note: Photo courtesy of Greg Glemser, Central Bucks Rotary.
Photo Caption:

Rotary Club of Central Bucks presented over $30,000 in grants to local organizations that serve veterans and families of fallen heroes at a reception held on December 4 at the Plumsteadville Inn. The funds were raised at the club’s 9th annual Ride For The Heroes and Picnic, held in June.

Pictured Back Row (L to R):Chris Lewis, Rotarian and ride organizer; Damon Derstine, Rotarian and ride organizer; Frank Woodring, teacher, CB South High School; Janet Brennan, Shamrock Reigns; Thom Short, Meghan’s Foundation; Kathi Atkinson, president, Central Bucks Rotary; Dan Fraley, Bucks County Veterans Transport; Joe Szafran, Bucks County Tour of Honor; Ken Dickerson, Delaware Valley Stand Down; Eddie Speller, Delaware Valley Stand Down; Pete Stinson, Operation Home Front; Theresa Sablosky, Good To Go Care Boxes; Hugo Lentze, Travis Manion Foundation.

Middle row (Far Left):Anita Fleming, Our Community Salutes

Front row (L to R):Camryn Hannigan, student, CB South High School, Operation Eternal Gratitude; Sara Jimenez, student, CB South High School, Operation Eternal Gratitude; Mercedes Sanoja, student, CB South High School, Operation Eternal Gratitude; Christine Ferrara, Bucks County Tour of Honor; Jana Spess, Tails of Valor; Jason Harrar, Tails of Valor, with his service dog Loftus.