FORT SMITH, Ark. — On Friday and Saturday Fort Smith held its annual Steel Horse Rally at The Fort Smith Harley Davidson bringing thousands of bikers to the city.
The rally is a tradition; bikers from all across the nation come to experience and share one unique passion.
"It's a good time for people to come together, you know, a lot of new riders get to experience what the rallies are about" said Harley Davidson regional manager Travis Lemmons.
Lemmons says it's the one rally that really holds together the motorcycle community.
"Steel Horse obviously involves the Marshals Museum downtown, they have a bike show there every year, and we just try to stay engaged with the riders and their life and the motorcycle lifestyle and community," Lemmons said.
However, for the Veterans of Foreign Wars unit 14 rider group, this rally means a lot more. It's a way to raise money to support veterans in need.
"The money that we raised from this fundraiser that we were set up with today, will go into the needs of veterans as we go. So food insecurities, utilities, rent, anything that we can do to help a veteran now," said Nicole Licari, chairperson of VFM riders group unit 14.
This event is very important for them because it's their one chance to raise money needed to support these vets.
"This is the only fundraiser that we do. So it's really important for us to do the best we can add it because come July when we raffle this off. We're off for the rest of the year. And the money that we've raised from January to July has to carry us through." Licari explained.
For Chester Starr, this group means the world to him. Seven years ago, lightning struck his home, blowing out the electricity. He needed support and that's when VFW came through for him.
"Through them, they were able to get me in contact since I'm a veteran through the VFW in Van Buren, and they came out with no charge and put in a whole new electrical unit and redid all the wiring," Starr said.
Now, Starr works to do the same for veterans that VFW did for him.
"That was where it actually all started from making money and helping assist other veterans with their needs. And we'd now do different things throughout the day where veterans come in and I'm able to assist them through working with the VSO and through the VFW," Starr said.
Starr says he is forever grateful for the group that helped bring him new life.
"They kept me out of a bad place. I was unable to do stuff like this out in public and I had isolated myself and they were able to get me out of my house and start talking to other people again," Starr said.
The VFW unit 14's goal is to raise $10,000 to support local veterans until next year's rally.
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