On Wednesday, May 18, Run For The Wall will pass by Havasu on the I-40 on its way to Washington, D.C.

This is the twenty-eighth year that Run For The Wall has made the annual journey. RFTW was started in 1989 by two Vietnam Veterans wanting to visit the recently completed Vietnam Wall in Washington, D.C. From several hundred veterans on motorcycles that first year, the Run has grown to three routes, leaving from Ontario, Calif. 10 days before Memorial Day each year. Each route starts with 300 or more motorcycles and picks up more as they cross the United States.

The Central Route travels through Kentucky on the way to Washington D.C. Judy Lacey/RiverScene

As RFTW travels across the country, they stop at memorials to pay tribute to our fallen and at VA hospitals to visit patients. They also make stops for fuel and meals. RFTW is made up of veterans from every state, plus Australia, Canada, and other countries.

Since 2006 Havasu residents have gone out on the I-40 Exit 9 overpass at Hwy95 to show their support for veterans making the annual pilgrimage. More than two dozen Havasu residents have participated in RFTW for many years.

This year supporters will move from Exit 9 to the next overpass, Exit 13 – Franconia Road. The move is the result of truck drivers complaining to ADOT that having people on the Exit 9 overpass was a safety hazard.

Please drive the extra four miles to Exit 13 so we can continue to show our support for our veterans from that location. DPS and ADOT have both approved of our gathering there, and there is more parking space available there than at Exit 9.

RFTW has three routes: Central, Midway, and Southern. On Wednesday, May 18, the RFTW Central and Midway routes will each be traveling through Arizona along I-40. Central Route passes by Exit 9 and continues to Kingman for lunch.

The Midway Route arrives at Chevron during the 2015 Run For The Wall. Judy Lacey/RiverScene

Midway Route: Makes a fuel stop at Exit 9 Chevron at 11:55 a.m., and departs at 12:35 p.m. This is your chance to meet some of the riders. Be sure to thank them for their service and tell them “welcome home.”

Central Route: Be at Exit 13 about 3:15 p.m. to cheer on RFTW as they pass by. They will arrive in Kingman at 4:15 p.m. at Exit 66 from I-40 to fuel up at Petro Truck Stop. They will depart at 5 p.m.

For more information on Run For The Wall, visit www.rftw.org.