Motorcycle rally supports Osburn VFW

OSBURN — For the fifth straight year, the Serving Our Military Mountain Ride & Rally gathered to raise funds for the Silver Valley’s veterans.

Last week, organizer Don Byrd presented VFW Post 1675 commander Chris Marker with a check for $2,700, almost double what they donated in 2022.

The motorcycle rally and ride begins at Timbers Roadhouse in Cataldo and runs through the Silver Valley, where the riders raise funds through donations, raffle ticket sales and the registration fees for the event.

Marker said that without the money, several of the opportunities they provide to local veterans and other organizations would not be possible. As many of the local veterans continue to age, and with the cost of living always on the rise, being able to offer veterans some help when they need it is one of the tenets of the VFW.

“We use some of the money for our relief fund, which goes directly toward helping veterans with medical bills or a tank of gas,” Marker explained. “We also use it for our Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy essay contest prizes.”

The money is also used to fund events like the VFW’s quarterly Stand Down, which offers a wide array of resources for veterans including referrals for health care, employment, substance abuse treatment, mental health assistance and other vital services.

Each year, the essay contests allow Silver Valley youth to get involved with the local VFW and potentially win hundreds to thousands of dollars in prize money if an essay is successful at the district, state and national competition levels.

Byrd and his fellow organizers first got the idea for the Mountain Ride five years ago, when a man who was walking cross-country for veterans stayed at the Trail Motel.

"I had been looking to do a project for bikers in the area," Byrd said. "Once I heard this guy's story, I had done my research … and decided that this is where I was going to go with this."

“We’re just really thankful these guys do this every year, and every year they donate the money to us,” Marker said. “We are responsible for raising our own funds, which we do through our monthly breakfasts, but anything we get donated is appreciated greatly.”