San Marcos — Monday is the day.
The public is invited to come out to the American Legion Hall (1705 IH-35 N., San Marcos) at 6 p.m. to give a San Marcos-style welcome to the men and women participating in the “Road 2 Recovery” bicycle ride's Texas Challenge.
San Marcos American Legion Post 144 is hosting a spaghetti dinner for the riders and their support personnel. Post 144 Commander Tom Tvrdik says a limited number of dinners will be available to the public for a donation to the Road2Recovery project's Texas Challenge.
The Road 2 Recovery cyclists are “wounded warriors” — U.S. veterans with war injuries — who have turned to cycling to boost their physical and mental rehabilitation.
More than 60 bicyclists are scheduled to depart from Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio about 10 a.m. Monday to begin the seven-day ride to the Texas Rangers ball park in Arlington where they will arrive on Saturday, April 4.
In addition to USO and American Legion Riders, support personnel expected for the San Marcos stop include actors Adam Baldwin (“Full Metal Jacket,” NBC's “Chuck”) and Mike Vogel (“Cloverfield,” “Poseidon”).
Tvrdik said folks from as far away as Houston and as close as his local Hays County Veterans Service Officer office have stepped forward to volunteer to help prepare and serve the meal at the hall.
The post and unit will prepare a spaghetti dinner for about 100 guests. San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz will officially welcome the group to San Marcos. Musical entertainment after dinner will be provided by Legionnaire Alan Cameron and Austin singer- songwriter Cheryl Murdock, a San Marcos native.
When the guests arrive at the Hampton, they will find welcome bags provided by the San Marcos Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Ladies from American Legion Auxiliary Units 41 in Lockhart and 177 in Luling will also be assisting with dinner preparation and service.
Lockhart members will be bringing cakes for the dinner Among those who will be assisting are Lockhart Unit 41 President Marilyn Kemp and Luling Unit 177 member Madeline Seydler, who is also president of the American Legion Auxiliary's 10th district.
The Texas Challenge riders will be taking back roads from San Antonio to San Marcos that will take them by Seguin, with the final section on Hwy. 123, convenient to the Hampton Inn and Suites where they will spend the night. They will be accompanied by a USO canteen to provide snacks for their rest stops along the way.
Tuesday morning, the group will leave San Marcos and head for Austin, their next stop on their journey to Arlington.
A supporter of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and companies with service members and their families serving at home and abroad, the “Road 2 Recovery” organization's mission is to improve the health and wellness of wounded warriors by providing the life changing experience of bicycling.
According to Road 2 Recovery founder John Wordin, the idea for the program originated when he was invited to do a ride with veterans from the Palo Alto, Calif., Veterans Affairs facility who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. The facility had started a cycling program as a regular part of the patients' mental rehabilitation, he said.
“Participating in cycling helps speed up their recovery process,” Wordin said. R2R supports Spinning® Recovery Labs and outdoor cycling programs at military and VA locations around the U.S. to help injured veterans overcome obstacles they face. “There have been a lot of studies done on physical activity, and there are two things it does. One is it decreases depression. The second thing is that doing a physical activity helps develop your muscles,” he says.
The ride map and other details may be viewed at the organizations' website at http://TheRoad2Recovery.org.
For more information , call American Legion Auxiliary President Pat Murdock at 512-353-1943 or Commander Tvrdik at 512-353-8443.
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