On Friday, August 4, The Heroes Ride Bike Tour rides for its 39th year in support of The Highground, beginning in five locations throughout the state. The Southwestern Route, a family of three, will gear up for their ride with three things in common: their love of riding bicycles, their support of our Veterans and their love for The Highground.

On Sunday morning, August 6, the route begins the last leg of their journey. They will arrive at The Highground around 10:30am. Every rider volunteered for this event, taking time off from work, family events and more to show their patriotism. The Highground encourages supporters to welcome the Southwestern Route as they arrive at the park.

Marine spouse Terri Stott, the Southwestern Route leader, rides with her family and friends for this event. Knowing firsthand the sacrifices a military family makes, this ride has become near and dear to Terri’s heart. The Highground and Southwestern Route are grateful to the many individual route supporters for their words of encouragement and for sponsoring “a noble cause.”

This annual event began in 1985 with Tom Miller riding 1,244 miles around Wisconsin to bring awareness and recognition to Vietnam Veterans and to raise funds to lay the foundation of The Highground. That number represents how many servicemen and women were killed in action during the Vietnam War.

The Heroes Ride, The Highground’s largest and longest running fundraiser, raised over $93,000 in 2022. The dedication of these riders helps the organization to confidently focus on Veterans programming including social programs and restorative retreats that help Veterans and their families overcome the challenging emotions associated with military service. 

The Highground is grateful for all returning riders and looks forward to welcoming new riders every year. There is still time to join the ride and help support The Highground’s continuing mission to honor the sacrifices of our Veterans and their families, educate the public about those sacrifices and encourage the healing of the masked wounds of war.

More information including registration options are available on the Heroes Ride website at thehighgroundheroesride.com. Information about The Highground, event updates and more are available on The Highground’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/TheHighgroundVeteransMemorial.

The Highground is located at W7031 Ridge Rd, Neillsville WI 54456.