Ride to Remember 2021 Preview
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In 2020, Eluna welcomed its longtime partner, Team Jesse, to our network after years of collaboration assisting military families impacted by grief or addiction. Over the past 10 years, Team Jesse has provided education and support to families of fallen soldiers in memory of SSG Jesse Williams.
Mary K. FitzGerald, Eluna Chief Executive Officer shares, “Team Jesse has been an impactful source of support and comfort to Eluna’s military families, and we are honored to have the Founder and supporters continue the Ride to Remember as we commemorate the 20th Anniversary of September 11th and remember all families grieving the death of a solider.”
Jesse Williams, known for living life to the fullest, is remembered as a loving father, a devoted husband, a loyal son, a spirited brother and a most trustworthy friend. He decided to join the Army in March 2002, an enlistment that was motivated by a visit to Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks. SSG Williams died on April 8, 2007 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from small arms fire while conducting combat operations. Jesse’s legacy lives on through Eluna’s support for military families impacted by grief or addiction.
Kevin Mincio, US Army Veteran, Team Jesse co-founder and president of Eluna’s Board of Trustees, along with fellow cyclists Kevin Collins and Mark Larson, will be riding through Northern California September 9th-11th in honor of Jesse and to mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
Kevin explains, “By joining Eluna, Team Jesse has extended its reach to military families dealing with grief and addiction. The events of September 11, 2001 remind us to never forget those who sacrificed for our freedoms, and to honor their memory by supporting their loved ones who still live with the impact of loss.”
On September 8th, the Ride to Remember team will host a kickoff event in San Francisco and then embark on the 2021 Ride to Remember the following morning. The route will take the team from San Francisco through Petaluma and Napa and conclude at Jesse’s gravesite in Santa Rosa on September 11th. Along the way, riders will meet with families of fallen soldiers to honor their service. The Ride to Remember was last hosted in 2018 and spanned 180 miles from Independence Hall in Philadelphia to the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, VA raising over $32,000 to support Team Jesse and Eluna programs.
As the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks fast approaches, in honor of all those who have lost their lives and their loved ones, we ask you to please consider making a special gift in their memory.
Your generous donation to Team Jesse’s Ride to Remember campaign will provide vital services that benefit our campers and families impacted by grief or addiction and opportunities for personalized support to the Eluna Resource Center.