Chandler Rotary Club boosts hope of valley veterans

San Tan Crown Rotary Club plans to conduct a charity motorcycle ride.

San Tan Crown Rotary Club plans to conduct a charity motorcycle ride.

San Tan Crown Rotary Club (Chandler, AZ) member Stan Kaufman has announced plans to conduct a charity motorcycle ride to benefit the Phoenix chapter of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (www.PHX-PHWFF.org) and the Arizona StandDown Alliance (www.arizonastanddown.org). Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing assists injured Veterans with physical, mental and spiritual rehabilitation by engaging our veterans in the basics of fly tying, rod building, casting and practical “on the water” catch and release fishing skills. The Arizona StandDown is an alliance of community-based organizations that come together to provide annual one to three day events that bring together the State’s homeless and at-risk military veterans, connecting them with services ranging from health care, mental health services, clothing, meals, emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing and a myriad other services and resources.

Kaufman reports that ride organizers have laid out a 100-mile round trip ride starting with registration and a free pancake breakfast at the Chandler Harley-Davidson dealership and ending at the American Legion Post 35 on West Chandler Blvd. (Chandler Blvd. and the 101) for dinner, games, prizes and awards. Highlights of the day include cash prizes of up to $1,000 as well as an abundance of quality raffle prizes, inaugural patches, ride pins and some other surprises.

The ride has been dubbed as the “Hooked on Healing” ride, which is a fitting moniker considering the veteran-focused organizations benefitting from the ride. So save the date: Saturday, February 27, 2016. Registration, $25/bike and passenger includes free inaugural ride patch and $5 raffle tickets to first 200 bikes, starts at 7:30 a.m. followed by three stops before arriving at the American Legion Post 35 at 3:30 p.m. For more information on [1] how you can participate as a ride volunteer worker, [2] register yourself or your group for the ride, or [3] simply make a donation to this worthwhile cause, please email us at [email protected], find us on our website www.healingvets.org, our Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HealingVets/, Twitter https://twitter.com/HealingVets/, or call Stan Kaufman at 480-339-0247.