Guardian Brotherhood sponsors fundraiser for vets
By Steve Herring
Published in News on September 9, 2015 1:46 PM
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The Guardian Brotherhood motorcycle club is hosting a poker run this Saturday to benefit the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition. All of the donations will go directly to the coalition, said August Miller, the club's public affairs officer.
The Guardian Brotherhood motorcycle club will sponsor the Defenders of Freedom Poker Run this Saturday, Sept. 12, to benefit the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition.
Registration will start at 9 a.m. with kick stands up at 11 a.m. at Performance East, 604 Corporate Drive.
The cost is $20 per bike and $10 for additional riders. The cost includes tickets for lunch and a chance to win prizes.
Car entries are $30 each and include two lunches.
There is no pre-registration. Participants will simply register on Saturday.
The first 50 registered riders will receive a free breakfast biscuit.
There will also be a 50/50 raffle, music and door prizes.
The largest organized group to ride, other than the Guardian Brotherhood, will receive a Clubhouse Trophy.
"All of the donations, everything that we get, is going 100 percent right back to the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition to help them out," said August Miller, Guardian Brotherhood public affairs officer.
The Guardian Brotherhood already has given the coalition $1,000 collected by just going out and explaining the event. Both groups are nonprofits.
"We use a spin box (on the poker run)," Miller said. "You pull a card, whatever you get on your card we have a sheet, and they mark whatever card you got. By the end of the run you build your best poker hand off of that sheet. Whoever wins gets the money.
"Something else that we have is bug bull's-eye. That is a little sticker that they put on their headlight. They pay a dollar for it. Whatever bug gets closest to that bull's-eye that rider wins the kitty. The other half goes to the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition. These little games help because it is more money for them plus it is more riders that show up."
The club is also collecting items for a silent auction. A minimum bid will be placed on each item. People will write down their bid, name and phone number.
Jewelry Unlimited has donated $200 in $10 gift cards and $165 in jewelry for the silent auction. There will be water bottles from the Bridge Church and Sheetz gave $200 in gas cards, Miller said.
"We are trying something different this year," Miller said. "If you look at some of our sponsors like Sheetz, they have donated $200 in gas cards. Staples has given us $1,800 in free printing for all of our flyers. So the community is always 100 percent behind us.
"Adams Roadside Barbecue, they help. We are paying for $800 worth of food, but right behind that Performance East is picking up the rest of the check. So that is 100 bike riders were are paying for."
The Guardian Brotherhood skipped holding a poker run last year because many of is members were deployed, Miller said.
"We have retired people like myself and Jerry, but we just didn't have enough people to put on a poker run because it is a lot to this to go out and put on something like this in our community," Miller said. "We are trying to play catch up."
Miller said he is hoping for a large turnout including church groups and clubs from other military communities.
The Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition provides Memorial Day events, the Veterans Day Parade and events, the Purple Heart Banquet, benefits the Camp Lejeune Wounded Warrior Barrack and other events, Miller said.
"We (Guardian Brotherhood) are all made up of veterans and active duty service members," he said. "We have been around for about 10 years now and we are straight out of Goldsboro.
"What we always try to do, we pick something so we are going to help out the community. This year we decided to pick the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition because they do need funds."
Also, if the city comes up with an idea the Coalition members "jump in" and help, said Jerry Snyder, Guardian Brotherhood vice president.
The mission of the Guardian Brotherhood is to support the core values of the United States Armed Forces and its members, Miller said.
Member must be current or retired military with a honorable discharge.
It also serve as a mentoring program for young military motorcycle riders who are unsure about the correct way to act on two wheels, a community outreach program connecting the military to the community and helping dispel the stigma associated with the biker culture, Miller said.
To make a tax-exempt donation, call Miller at 919-394-7712.