09/10/08
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Lake Havasu City has a number of patriotically themed events planned for the latter half of this month.
The Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride will be in Lake Havasu City September 24. The group is composed of men and women who have returned from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq with serious, life altering injuries. “Many of these men and women have been physically active throughout their lives. Soldier Ride offers these brave individuals the chance to get on a bike and prove to themselves, ‘I can still do this.’ Soldier Ride is not about politics; it's not about the war. It's simply about the soldiers,” said Woody Groten with the Wounded Warrior Project who is organizing the ride, which takes place in Phoenix, Lake Havasu City and then Las Vegas.
A dedication ceremony is taking place the Wednesday morning the soldiers are in town. Part of that ceremony will include the dedication of a segment of the Freedom Memorial Walkway under construction as part of the Freedom Bridge Foundation. “Many donors in Lake Havasu City have chosen to honor these Wounded Warrior men and women for the incredible sacrifices they have made for our freedoms and our country. These soldiers are being immortalized in the Memorial Walkway.” said Gary Meyers, Chairman of the Freedom Bridge Committee. "These are the very people who motivated this entire (Freedom Memorial Walkway) project," he said. Generous donors from around the community and beyond purchased bricks for each of the soldiers taking part in the Soldier Ride.
The public is asked to attend the ceremony, which starts promptly at 8:30 the morning of September 24. “We all talk about supporting the troops. This is a great opportunity to really show that support,” said Jarrod Lyman, who is part of the organizing committee for the event. “I want everyone in the community to show their support and be at that event.”
The school district has offered their support as well. “The school district supports our wounded veterans and is very happy to support the Wounded Warrior Project. Any parent that takes their children to that event will not be counted as tardy that day,” said Lake Havasu Unified School District Superintendant Gail Malay. “Attending this ceremony will be part of our students’ education on citizenship.”
The Lake Havasu High School Band of Knights will be on hand performing patriotic music and the National Anthem. There will be a mayoral proclamation, Arizona Speaker of the House Jim Weiers will speak, and the riders will have a chance to place their bricks in the walkway.
Supporters can also gather along the ride route, which can be found at www.woundedwarriorproject.org then click on Soldier Ride. The ride will finish at the Hampton Inn, where crowds are also asked to gather to welcome the riders back in. “The Rotary Clubs have changed their meeting schedule to coincide with their return so we can welcome them back,” Meyers said. “We’d love to have even more people from the community there to show their support.”
A water stop at the Shops at Havasu mall will also be another place residents can cheer on the soldiers. Students from the Daytona Middle School band and choir will be on hand performing patriotic music as well. The stop will be located in the Center Court area located in front of the UltraStar Cinema building currently under construction.
A new addition to the schedule of events is the National Premiere screening of the independent film Who Will Stand, a movie documenting the Soldier Ride and the issues facing returning veterans. “This is a powerful film showing the continuing sacrifice the men and women of our armed forces have to make,” said Meyers. “It’s impossible to see this film and not be moved by it.”
There will be two special showings of the movie. One, Monday, September 22, will be a special, VIP, invitation only screening. There will be numerous invited guests, including those who have already donated a brick. The showing starts at 7 pm. Also in attendance will be the producer and director of the film, Phil Valentine.
Following the screening is a celebration at Barley Brother’s Brewery, featuring the new Freedom Brick ale brewed especially for the Freedom Bridge Foundation. “This is a great partnership between us and Barley Brother’s,” Meyers said. “It will raise both awareness and funds for the goals of the Foundation.” The specialty ale will be available at the Shugrue’s restaurants, with a portion of each purchase going to the Freedom Bridge Foundation.
A second screening on Tuesday will be open to the general public. Entrance will be the same price of a movie ticker, $6.50, with all proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project as the use of the theatre has been donated. Additional donations for the Wounded Warrior Project will be accepted.
Wounded Warriors to make a stop in Lake Havasu City
8/18/2008
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – The Wounded Warrior Project will be making a stop in Lake Havasu City next month.
The Wounded Warrior Project is an organization aimed at supporting veterans wounded in battle. According to the group’s website, the organization was founded after members saw the needs of soldiers who were wounded while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. “They realized that something needed to be done for these brave individuals beyond the brass bands and ticker tape parades. They wanted to provide tangible support for the severely wounded to help them on the road to heal both physically and mentally,” said Woody Groton, himself a veteran who is organizing the event.
One of the many programs is the Soldier Ride, where military personnel who are on the road to recovery participate in a regional bike ride that helps to raise awareness for the cause, and to get them back into the active lifestyle they once knew. “Many of these men and women have been physically active throughout their lives. Soldier Ride offers these brave individuals the chance to get on a bike and prove to themselves, ‘I can still do this.’ Soldier Ride is not about politics; it's not about the war. It's simply about the soldiers,” said Groton.
The ride starts in Phoenix Tuesday, September 23. They’ll then take part in a 25 mile ride throughout Lake Havasu City the following day, Wednesday, September 24. The next day they will travel up to Las Vegas, where they have another event and ride planned for the 25th.
Volunteers from throughout Lake Havasu City are organizing an event to ensure that the soldiers feel welcomed while they are in Lake Havasu City. “We are putting together a welcoming ceremony and dedication to see them off on their Lake Havasu City ride,” said Lake Havasu City CVB vice president Jarrod Lyman, who is chairing the committee organizing the event. “We want these heroes to know Lake Havasu City supports them and truly thanks them for their sacrifice.”
The Freedom Bridge Committee is another organization involved in the event. They have the goal of finding local residents and businesses to sponsor a rider with a brick in the memorial walkway. “What more of a lasting impression can we make on these men and women who gave so much of themselves for our country, than by immortalizing them in this memorial to those who serve in our armed forces,” said Gary Meyers, Chairman of the Freedom Bridge Committee. “"These are the very people who motivated this entire (Freedom Memorial Walkway) project," he said.
The group has to gather sponsors fast, as the brick order needs to be placed by August 25 if they are to be ready in time for the event. “We’d like to present the soldiers with their bricks, and have them lay them in the memorial walkway during the ceremony,” Meyers said.
Also planned for the ceremony will be a mayoral proclamation, patriotic music from the High School band and more. “We want everyone from the community to come out and show their support,” Lyman said. “Both at the ceremony and after, cheering them on as they ride along the route. What an amazing way to really show our support for these heroes.”
“There are a lot of people and organizations helping us out with this,” Lyman said. “The Freedom Bridge Committee is really stepping up; the School District has also pledged their support. The Lake Havasu Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association is taking part, and so are many of the veteran’s groups. The Hampton Inn is hosting the riders, and the London Bridge Resort is helping with the dedication ceremony on Wednesday morning. The Police Department is helping set up the course and plan the event as well. A lot of people are making this happen, and it would be great to have as many residents as possible out there Wednesday morning.”
The route will have the riders starting beneath the London Bridge, and heading out through the English Village toward State Route 95. They’ll travel south on the highway bike path to the access for the upper parking lot on the London Bridge Resort, through that lot and across the London Bridge and then clockwise around the Island. They’ll then travel down Beachcomber Blvd. through London Bridge Beach, backtrack through the upper lot to the bike path then down to London Bridge Road where they will travel north to the Shops at Havasu. They’ll cross the front of the mall to Centre Loop then head southbound on SR 95 to Smoketree where they will enter Rotary Park. They will stay on the sidewalk from Rotary north through the Bridgewater Channel, through the English Village and out where they will finish their ride at the Hampton Inn.
Residents who want to ride alongside the soldiers are encouraged to do so. Other cities have seen the group of 25 soldiers swell to over 100 as residents from those areas wanted to show their support. The local organizing committee is asking that a $20 donation be made by those wishing to ride. “One hundred percent of that will go to the Wounded Warrior Project to help with their mission,” Lyman said.
The local Rotary clubs will meet the riders at the Hampton Inn at the end of their ride. Residents who want to be on hand at the end of the ride are also welcome to this event.
For more information, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
-END-
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – The Wounded Warrior Project will be making a stop in Lake Havasu City next month.
The Wounded Warrior Project is an organization aimed at supporting veterans wounded in battle. According to the group’s website, the organization was founded after members saw the needs of soldiers who were wounded while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. “They realized that something needed to be done for these brave individuals beyond the brass bands and ticker tape parades. They wanted to provide tangible support for the severely wounded to help them on the road to heal both physically and mentally,” said Woody Groton, himself a veteran who is organizing the event.
One of the many programs is the Soldier Ride, where military personnel who are on the road to recovery participate in a regional bike ride that helps to raise awareness for the cause, and to get them back into the active lifestyle they once knew. “Many of these men and women have been physically active throughout their lives. Soldier Ride offers these brave individuals the chance to get on a bike and prove to themselves, ‘I can still do this.’ Soldier Ride is not about politics; it's not about the war. It's simply about the soldiers,” said Groton.
The ride starts in Phoenix Tuesday, September 23. They’ll then take part in a 25 mile ride throughout Lake Havasu City the following day, Wednesday, September 24. The next day they will travel up to Las Vegas, where they have another event and ride planned for the 25th.
Volunteers from throughout Lake Havasu City are organizing an event to ensure that the soldiers feel welcomed while they are in Lake Havasu City. “We are putting together a welcoming ceremony and dedication to see them off on their Lake Havasu City ride,” said Lake Havasu City CVB vice president Jarrod Lyman, who is chairing the committee organizing the event. “We want these heroes to know Lake Havasu City supports them and truly thanks them for their sacrifice.”
The Freedom Bridge Committee is another organization involved in the event. They have the goal of finding local residents and businesses to sponsor a rider with a brick in the memorial walkway. “What more of a lasting impression can we make on these men and women who gave so much of themselves for our country, than by immortalizing them in this memorial to those who serve in our armed forces,” said Gary Meyers, Chairman of the Freedom Bridge Committee. “"These are the very people who motivated this entire (Freedom Memorial Walkway) project," he said.
The group has to gather sponsors fast, as the brick order needs to be placed by August 25 if they are to be ready in time for the event. “We’d like to present the soldiers with their bricks, and have them lay them in the memorial walkway during the ceremony,” Meyers said.
Also planned for the ceremony will be a mayoral proclamation, patriotic music from the High School band and more. “We want everyone from the community to come out and show their support,” Lyman said. “Both at the ceremony and after, cheering them on as they ride along the route. What an amazing way to really show our support for these heroes.”
“There are a lot of people and organizations helping us out with this,” Lyman said. “The Freedom Bridge Committee is really stepping up; the School District has also pledged their support. The Lake Havasu Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association is taking part, and so are many of the veteran’s groups. The Hampton Inn is hosting the riders, and the London Bridge Resort is helping with the dedication ceremony on Wednesday morning. The Police Department is helping set up the course and plan the event as well. A lot of people are making this happen, and it would be great to have as many residents as possible out there Wednesday morning.”
The route will have the riders starting beneath the London Bridge, and heading out through the English Village toward State Route 95. They’ll travel south on the highway bike path to the access for the upper parking lot on the London Bridge Resort, through that lot and across the London Bridge and then clockwise around the Island. They’ll then travel down Beachcomber Blvd. through London Bridge Beach, backtrack through the upper lot to the bike path then down to London Bridge Road where they will travel north to the Shops at Havasu. They’ll cross the front of the mall to Centre Loop then head southbound on SR 95 to Smoketree where they will enter Rotary Park. They will stay on the sidewalk from Rotary north through the Bridgewater Channel, through the English Village and out where they will finish their ride at the Hampton Inn.
Residents who want to ride alongside the soldiers are encouraged to do so. Other cities have seen the group of 25 soldiers swell to over 100 as residents from those areas wanted to show their support. The local organizing committee is asking that a $20 donation be made by those wishing to ride. “One hundred percent of that will go to the Wounded Warrior Project to help with their mission,” Lyman said.
The local Rotary clubs will meet the riders at the Hampton Inn at the end of their ride. Residents who want to be on hand at the end of the ride are also welcome to this event.
For more information, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.
-END-
WORK ON MEMORIAL WALKWAY BEGINS
7/30/2008
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Lake Havasu City workers broke ground Monday on what will soon be the first section of the Memorial Walkway between the London Bridge and the planned Freedom Bridge.
“The volunteers have been working on this Freedom Bridge concept for a little over a year, and now we can really see progress being made,” said Brian Wedemeyer, Freedom Bridge Foundation President. “The cooperation from the city staff has been amazing.”
The Memorial Walkway will consist of engraved bricks as well as historical markers that will tell the story of America’s fight for freedom. High school and middle school students soon will be invited to write the essays for the historical markers.
City government already planned to make some maintenance improvements along that portion of the Bridgewater Channel easement. City crews will install temporary bricks until the first engraved bricks arrive in less than two months. “At that time, we plan to hold a very special celebration,” Wedemeyer said. “It’s going to be a beautiful addition to the Channel area.”
Meanwhile, the number of local non-profit groups that have signed up as beneficiaries of the brick fundraiser has reached 30. The most recent application was approved for organizers of the planned Tinnell Memorial Sports Park. Those who purchase a brick can donate $5 to any one of the organizations listed.
In addition, companies have the opportunity to purchase multi-brick packages to honor Veterans, employees, customers or other groups.
Proceeds from brick sales will be used for the Freedom Bridge improvement project, including an enhanced bridge design and a proposed Freedom Park. The City is expected to go out for bid on the basic bridge design and engineering during the current fiscal year.
While the city will pay for the second bridge with general fund money as well as dollars collected from island development impact fees, the improvements to the bridge and the surrounding park will not be paid for through tax dollars.
“Our goal is to create a lasting memorial to the men and women who made this country what it is, without adding additional burden to the taxpayer. The monies for the park and the bridge enhancements will come from memorial brick sales and other outside, non-tax dollar sources,” Wedemeyer said.
For more information, visit www.havasufreedombridge.com
Larry Robinson
Executive Director
(951) 217-8017
robinsonl@frontiernet.net
Jarrod Lyman
Vice-President
Lake Havasu City CVB
(928) 453-3444 x134
(928) 453-3344 fax
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Lake Havasu City workers broke ground Monday on what will soon be the first section of the Memorial Walkway between the London Bridge and the planned Freedom Bridge.
“The volunteers have been working on this Freedom Bridge concept for a little over a year, and now we can really see progress being made,” said Brian Wedemeyer, Freedom Bridge Foundation President. “The cooperation from the city staff has been amazing.”
The Memorial Walkway will consist of engraved bricks as well as historical markers that will tell the story of America’s fight for freedom. High school and middle school students soon will be invited to write the essays for the historical markers.
City government already planned to make some maintenance improvements along that portion of the Bridgewater Channel easement. City crews will install temporary bricks until the first engraved bricks arrive in less than two months. “At that time, we plan to hold a very special celebration,” Wedemeyer said. “It’s going to be a beautiful addition to the Channel area.”
Meanwhile, the number of local non-profit groups that have signed up as beneficiaries of the brick fundraiser has reached 30. The most recent application was approved for organizers of the planned Tinnell Memorial Sports Park. Those who purchase a brick can donate $5 to any one of the organizations listed.
In addition, companies have the opportunity to purchase multi-brick packages to honor Veterans, employees, customers or other groups.
Proceeds from brick sales will be used for the Freedom Bridge improvement project, including an enhanced bridge design and a proposed Freedom Park. The City is expected to go out for bid on the basic bridge design and engineering during the current fiscal year.
While the city will pay for the second bridge with general fund money as well as dollars collected from island development impact fees, the improvements to the bridge and the surrounding park will not be paid for through tax dollars.
“Our goal is to create a lasting memorial to the men and women who made this country what it is, without adding additional burden to the taxpayer. The monies for the park and the bridge enhancements will come from memorial brick sales and other outside, non-tax dollar sources,” Wedemeyer said.
For more information, visit www.havasufreedombridge.com
Larry Robinson
Executive Director
(951) 217-8017
robinsonl@frontiernet.net
Jarrod Lyman
Vice-President
Lake Havasu City CVB
(928) 453-3444 x134
(928) 453-3344 fax
WAL-MART DONATES TO FREEDOM BRIDGE PROJECT
7/8/2008
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – The Freedom Bridge Foundation received a boost Monday from a local retailer.
Super Wal-Mart, which just recently opened its doors at the new Shops at Havasu mall, presented the group with a check for $850. “It’s a great project for Havasu,” said Super Wal-Mart general manager Mark Dutton. “It is definitely needed, and it’s a great idea how the bridge will be funded without using tax dollars. I definitely think this is something Wal-Mart should be a part of,” he said.
Super-Wal-Mart purchased ten bricks as part of that donation. Ten names were then drawn out of a list of people who purchased bricks over the weekend, and they will now receive their brick for free.
Freedom Bridge Foundation Chair Gary Meyers, along with Executive Director Larry Robinson, accepted the check on behalf of the group. “Wal-Mart is one of the many great examples of corporate leadership in Lake Havasu City,” Meyers said. “They understand the importance and the long term value of the Freedom Bridge project.”
The donation came on the heels of a major effort to sell memorial bricks, the main fundraising method of the foundation, at the Super Wal-Mart over the Independence Day weekend. “Brick sales are accelerating as awareness increases,” Meyers said. “We are approaching the 500 brick level, which will be of special importance because it will allow us to begin laying bricks at the foot of the famous London Bridge,” he said.
The plan is to pave the walkway from the London Bridge to the future site of the Freedom Bridge with the memorial bricks. Purchasers can choose a message to be engraved to honor friends, family members or anyone else.
Sale of the bricks will not only go to the Freedom Bridge effort, but buyers can choose a local charity that a portion of the sale goes to as well. Bricks can be purchased on the group’s website at www.havasufreedombridge.com
The group’s goal is to create a lasting memorial to freedom and those who currently serve and have served to protect it, promote public safety and access to the island and enhance the economic vitality of the area all without creating an additional burden on the tax payer.
Super Wal-Mart general manager Mark Dutton (center) presents Freedom Bridge Foundation chairman Gary Meyers (left) and executive director Larry Robinson (right) with a check for $850.
-END-
Foundation raises awareness while raising flags.
6/20/2008
Lake Havasu City, Ariz. – Boaters at the north end of the Bridgewater Channel may have noticed a new addition to the area: a flag pole sporting the American Flag as well as the banner of the Freedom Bridge Foundation.
The pole is actually one of two dedicated for the area. The second will go on the other side of the channel. “That is the footprint of where the bridge will go, that designates the location of the second bridge,” said Larry Robinson, executive director of the Freedom Bridge Foundation.
The pole and Freedom Bridge Foundation banner was donated by Tim Dam, owner of Orseeni House. The American flag was donated by the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The second pole was donated by Big O Tires, but Foundation members are still waiting on approval from the State Parks Board before that one is erected.
Robinson said so far, the reception to the flag as been warm. “As people go by, they wave while we’re raising the flags. We had one gentleman in a pontoon boat that went by as we were raising it on Flag Day. He pulled out an American Flag of his own and waved it as he went past,” Robinson said.
Additionally, the new flag has given the foundation the opportunity to spread the message of what they are trying to accomplish. “A lot of people ask about what is going on and it gives us a chance to talk about the project. It also shows progress, that something is happening down there,” he said.
The foundation was formed to create a lasting memorial to veterans out of the second bridge. The additions to the span, the memorial park and the Memorial Walkway, will be paid for by sales of memorial bricks instead of tax funding. The group says they have never seen such a monumental undertaking in which private dollars are used to improve infrastructure.
The flags will be raised Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
-END-
Photo Cutline:
From left: Freedom Bridge Foundation executive director Larry Robinson, his son James Robinson, retired Petty Officer First Class with the US Navy, Judy Lacey, Veterans Affairs Coordinator with the foundation, Lake Havasu City Council member and Foundation Chair Brian Wedemeyer and Orseeni House owner Tim Dam pose infront of the flag pole installed by the foundation. The pole, which bears the American Flag as well as a banner with the Freedom Bridge Foundation logo, marks where one side of the Freedom Bridge will be.
Jarrod Lyman
Vice-President
Lake Havasu City CVB
(928) 453-3444 x134
(928) 453-3344 fax
TOM HORNE, AZ SUPERINTENTENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, ENDORSES "76 MOMENTS" ESSAY CONTEST.
Apr. 13, 2009
Tom Horne
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Dear Arizona educators,
Volunteers from throughout Arizona and beyond are involved in an effort to build a oneof- a-kind memorial in honor of our nation’s Veterans – past and present. Now, the Freedom Bridge Foundation is asking all Arizona students to lend their insight and creativity in an essay contest like no other.
As many of you know, Lake Havasu City is already home to one of the state’s biggest tourist attractions – the world famous London Bridge. In a few years, thanks to these dedicated volunteers, Lake Havasu City will have a second signature bridge – the Freedom Bridge.
These two bridges will be connected by the Memorial Walkway and the “76 Moments of Freedom,” which will tell the story of America’s ongoing pursuit of freedom. Arizona State University’s nationally-recognized public history department has assisted with the selection of these 76 moments -- ranging from the Jamestown Settlement to Operation Enduring Freedom.
Now, the Freedom Bridge Foundation wants input from students from throughout the state. Every large historical tablet, which will forever be displayed along the Memorial Walkway, will include a short student essay on how each moment advanced the cause of America’s freedom. The essay contest, now underway at www.havasufreedombridge.com, challenges students to provide meaningful insight in a limited amount of text.
The contest winners and their schools will be forever famously displayed along this beautiful walkway between two remarkable bridges. The winning students also could be eligible for future scholarship awards.
The Freedom Bridge project has been endorsed by Gov. Jan Brewer, former Gov. Janet Napolitano, myself, Arizona Veterans Services Director Joey Strickland, the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society and many others. Please encourage your students to visit www.havasufreedombridge.com today so they, as well as your school, can truly become a part of history.
Sincerely,
Tom Horne
Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting American Veteran's Traveling Tribute
4/15/09
The Lake Havasu Chamber Ambassadors were honored to conduct a ribbon cutting to open the public ceremonies for the American Veteran’s Traveling Tribute at Windsor Beach State Park. The Tribute features an 80 percent replica of the Viet Nam Memorial and other veteran’s exhibits. The AVTT was hosted in Lake Havasu City by the Freedom Bridge Foundation. Approximately 25,000 visited the Tribute during its 4-day visit to Lake Havasu City.
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