Air Force veteran raises money to grant A Warrior’s Wish for four wounded service members
(Left to right, Hope For The Warriors Operations Director, Ed Raimo, Riding For Warriors sponsor, Michael Nehlsen and A Warriors Wish recipient, Marine GySgt Brien Kirkpatrick.)
Press Release – UNION, N.J. (August 24, 2016) – The Second Annual Riding For Warriors recently wrapped its cross-country motorcycle journey raising more than $30,000 for Hope For The Warriors and its A Warrior’s Wish program and granting four wishes for deserving service members.
Celebrating 10 years of service, Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family, and hope for veterans, service members and military families.
Through its first established program, A Warrior’s Wish, Hope For The Warriors fulfills a desire for a better quality of life or supports a quest for gratifying endeavors for those who have sustained physical and psychological wounds in the line of duty.
For the second year, the ride was led by Air Force veteran Michael Nehlsen and sponsored by Union, New Jersey-based Hillmann Consulting. Starting in Bellevue, Washington and ending in Cape May, New Jersey, Nehlsen and his daughter, Rebecca, traveled more than 4,956 miles, through 16 states, in just 15 days.
Nehlsen made a special stop in Stella, North Carolina, to meet A Warrior’s Wish recipient, Marine GySgt Brien Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick’s 2015 wish of specialized woodworking tools to expand his woodworking business was sponsored by Nehlsen and Hillmann Consulting, through Riding For Warriors.
“It was a great honor and privilege to have the opportunity to meet Brien and see the incredible work being done in his woodworking shop, said Michael Nehlsen.“ He showed me how the new tools are helping him work more efficiently and expand his business. Seeing the joy in his eyes made every mile of this trip worth it.”
In two years, the proceeds from Nehlsen’s annual ride have sponsored nine wishes through A Warrior’s Wish totaling more than $75,000. In addition to Kirkpatrick’s wish, Riding For Warriors has sponsored a storage shed, a family trip to Walt Disney World, a saw mill and tractor, a donation towards a horse trailer, a bass boat, two road bicycles, and more.
“Nothing excites us more than to see veterans helping veterans,” said Robin Kelleher, co-founder and president of Hope For The Warriors. “As we celebrate our 10th year of service, Hope For The Warriors is extremely appreciative of Michael Nehlsen’s incredible and continued support and service to his fellow military members.”
For more information on Hope For The Warriors or its A Warriors Wish program, visit hopeforthewarriors.org, Facebook or Twitter.
About Hope For The Warriors:
Founded in 2006, Hope For The Warriors is a national nonprofit dedicated to restoring a sense of self, family and hope for post 9/11 veterans, service members and military families. Since its inception, Hope For The Warriors has served approximately 10,000 through a variety of support programs focused on transition, health and wellness, peer engagement and connections to community resources. The nonprofit’s first program, A Warrior’s Wish, has granted 157 wishes to fulfill a desire for a better quality of life or support a quest for gratifying endeavors. In addition, Run For The Warriors has captured the hearts of more than 22,000 since 2010. For more information, visit http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/, Facebook or Twitter.
