'Run For The Wall' To Stop In Tuscaloosa Next Week

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa will once again see the annual Run For The Wall pass through the city as over 1,800 participants honor veterans, their families, and friends, while raising awareness for Prisoners of War (POWs) and Missing in Action (MIA).

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The annual ride is held is may and begins in Ontario, California. It then concludes 1o days later at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

After reaching D.C., riders then participate in a three-day journey from the nation's capitol to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois — riding from “Wall to Wall.”

Alabama State Coordinator Jerry "Sparks" Leckness shared his thoughts on the annual event and said he rides for "those who can't."

“We experience tremendous patriotism in every community we visit," Leckness said. "Along our route we see American flags and people young and old who have come out to meet with us and to cheer us on. They greet us on overpasses and along the city streets, waving flags and cheering as we enter their communities. They welcome us into their homes, churches, and organizations. They nourish us. They encourage us. They keep us going when the going gets tough. They help us ‘Continue the Mission.’”

As part of the Tuscaloosa leg of the ride on May 21, participants will make a stop at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Participants will arrive at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center at 9:54 a.m. and will depart at 11:14 a.m.

“This has always been a great event for the Veterans at the medical center and they look forward to our arrival. They line the street waving flags and cheering," Leckness said. "I get tears in my eyes every time we roll into the VA Medical Center. This is why I ride. On my first run I saw the healing powers of the run. I listened as Veterans were able to open up about their combat-related feelings, and I saw them weeping as they placed both hands on the Vietnam Memorial Wall where the names of their fallen friends are engraved. I ride for them. I ride as a matter of honor and duty.”

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