Kickstands Up In Hackettstown To Help Homeless Veterans Aug. 14

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — It’s that time of year again to wax up and rev up the bikes, then hit the road to help homeless veterans and Operation Chillout.

Hackettstown Elks Lodge 2331 is hosting the annual event, planned to kick off the morning of Saturday, Aug. 14 - with kickstands up at the lodge for the Poker Run - then winding down that day until dark at Vasa Park in Budd Lake, for the Vets Summer Fest.

Registration for the Poker Run takes place at Elks Lodge 2331 on 210 Mountain Avenue that morning between 8 and 10 a.m., with a $20 minimum donation per entered bike. For that, bikers can get breakfast and win prizes for best and worst hand, with the kickstands up and the ride beginning at 10:30 a.m.

After cruising over to Vasa Park on Wolfe Road, the Summer Fest portion of the day is on from 11 a.m., with the opening ceremony starting at noon and the music festival beginning at 1 p.m.

Vasa Park will be open to the public with families welcome to enjoy music, food, vendors and more; and donations made to Operation Chillout.

Visit www.vetssummerfest.org for all the details for both the Poker Run and Vets Summer Fest, including about Operation Chillout, a volunteer outreach organization in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to help homeless veterans.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at jennifer.miller@patch.com.