'Soup N Samich'veterans ride to change in 2020

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

MERCER, Wis. — The annual “Soup N Samich Ride with Vets for Vets” was held at Schomberg Park on Saturday, for maybe the last time as the event will move to Hurley September next year.

For over 15 years a camping and trail ride for recreational sport-utility and all-terrain vehicles among a small group of veterans, families and friends was more or less invitation only, said organizer Curt Myers of Hurley. The event usually raised a few hundred dollars for a veterans-related charity along with some food and prizes for the participants.

Around eight years ago the organizers made it a nonprofit event and the event really started to grow three years ago when it was opened up to others interested in participating, he said. The donations increased to $700 in 2017.

“Last year we had 70 riders and raised $4,000 that went to Warriors Wishes,” Myers said. “This year we had 81 riders and are on track to raise $5,000 for the Hurley VFW and American Legion.”

The riders camped or plugged in the RV at Schomberg Park on Friday and left the park at 9 a.m. Saturday, in four groups on routes that varied up to 90 miles. The riders were all back at Schoenberg Park pavilion by 6 p.m. for drawings and a ciabatta bun ham and cheese sandwich and hot soup.

“We ride rain or shine the snow doesn’t matter,” Myers said.

The idea for the ride came from Greg Loeser, who is now a co-organizer, Myers said. The two were part of a cold ride one year and joked about setting up a tinfoil sandwich and soup ride to warm up, which they did.

It wasn’t long before the two were making ride t-shirts to sell so the money could go to various veterans groups such as Paralyzed Veterans of America, Honor Flight and Dreams for Veterans, he said.

This year’s ride included visitors from Minnesota, lower Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois, he said. One rider was a fellow soldier he served with in Germany.

“Most of the guys in the group are retired veterans,” Myers said.

The fundraising partnership with the VFW and the American Legion posts will now be permanent, he said. The ride will transition from October to coincide with the weekend of POW/MIA Recognition Day which falls on Friday Sept. 18, 2020.

“The planning is in progress and tentative at this point,” he said. “Hopefully, the change to September will also mean that we’ll have better weather.”

The partnership means that Myers can concentrate on the ride that will start and end at the American Legion building in Hurley. The VFW and American Legion will host a breakfast and end-of-day events including a 50-50 drawing and other activities.

“We’ve really outgrown Schomberg Park,” Myers said to the group on Saturday. “Once we opened the ride up to the public about three years ago the work doubled.”