Veterans honored with lunch, snowmobile rides

By Jane Myhra

The annual Ride With the Vets event will be held noon Friday, Feb. 19, at Bear Lake Resort, in Manawa.

Military veterans will be treated to a free luncheon, with no reservations required. The meal will be followed by a ceremony and guest speaker, then a short trail ride.

“Veterans do not need to preregister – just show up and be ready for some fun,” said Dave Sarna, who helps organize the event.

This year’s speaker is Hillary Larson, admissions director at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King. She will provide an overview of the benefits, services and amenities the home in King has to offer.

The Wisconsin Veterans Home at King Honor Guard will also take part in the day’s festivities to “serve as a reminder as to why events such as these exist – to honor and thank those who have bravely served and protected this great country,” said Amber Nikolai, member and public relations director for the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Events such as this demonstrate the true pride in patriotism and camaraderie that exists in the veteran community,” Nikolai said.

The Ride With the Vets snowmobile trail ride will include stops at Cedar Springs, Symco and Kegler’s Bowling Center before returning to Bear Lake.

Veterans may ride or drive a snowmobile, or take the bus to each location. All equipment – helmets, clothing – will be provided by Ken’s Sports in Kaukauna.

“We plan to do some trivia questions at various stops and encourage the various generations to mingle,” Sarna said. “Ceremonial flags will greet the veterans at each stop.”

Ride With the Vets was organized by the organizers of area snowmobile races.

This is the third year the event has been held in conjunction with the Manawa Snodeo.

“We wanted to show respect for all the veterans,” Sarna said. “A big part of the reason for doing this is for the camaraderie of the soldiers and for them to share different wartime stories. This is for the vets.”

For more information, visit www.manawasnodeo.com.