Car and bike show benefits Blue Star Mothers
The fourth annual car and bike show to benefit Blue Star Mothers OH59 was held at Coshocton County Fairgrounds on June 29. Sponsored by the Jon Ianniello Agency & American National Insurance, Robert and Melissa Leist co-organized the show.
“This is the first year at the fairgrounds,” Melissa said. “Being at the fairgrounds brings everyone in a little bit closer. We had really outgrown Main Street. We had people spread way down to the tracks and those people couldn’t hear what was going on at the court square. Now we are a little more centralized and everyone can be part of the action.”
Music has always been a part of the event and this year Rock Coshocton approached organizers about partnering.
“They generously sponsored the entertainment as kind of a preview to their upcoming festival,” Melissa said. “This year they brought in two great blues bands. We have a Newark band called Anything Blue, following them is Deuce-N-Quarter out of Columbus. They have won multiple international blues competitions. We have art and craft vendors, kids events with Dick McCune putting on an awesome magic and reptile show and a kids drag race competition where they can bring their hot wheels cars to race on a track. Three winners will receive a trophy courtesy of Jon Ianniello and the Rolling Thunder Wall. Rick Williamson, representing both the fairboard and Rock Coshocton, really helped us out this year.”
The Rolling Thunder Wall recognizes veterans from the Vietnam era. John Edwards got involved with Rolling Thunder Chapter 5 out of Mount Gilead in 2004 and is now the president. Edwards has been a police officer for 28 years. He did not serve in the military, but his father and grandfather served in the Army and his brother served in the Navy.
“In 2005 we got a wall together,” Edwards said. “These are those reported missing in 2004 and 2005. On the left is the branch they served in, their classification, their name, the date they went missing and the name of their hometown. The white numbers on the right is the year they were found and brought home for a proper burial. We are still finding them and we are still bringing them home. We attended a service for a captain that went missing from the Air Force in WWII in London and us with a few other chapters and other veterans associations went down and escorted him to his final resting place. That was very special for us. We want people to know and understand that there are still service men missing and we want to bring them home so that their families can have closure and for us as a nation. Last year, the weather prevented us from coming here, but this year Robert Leist wanted us to come back and it is a pleasure for us and our chapter to be able to do this. We represent all missing, not only Vietnam, but to make sure that the POW and MIA message gets out, that there are still prisoners of war and missing in action out there.”
Sharon Burns, president of Blue Star Moms and first vice-president for Ohio Blue Star Moms, is very thankful for the car show.
“We started on Fourth and Main Street and we have expanded every year,” she said. “The sponsors chose us to be their beneficiary and we are blessed to have them. We use the proceeds for veterans, for active duty and wherever there is a need we try to fill it. Earlier today, I talked to one of our local young men who is in our local national guard. They are getting ready to go for training. Last year we sponsored them with drinks and snacks and all that and he reminded me of how much they appreciated it, and we are doing that again.”
The local Blue Star moms recently packed 17 boxes to send to local people who are deployed.
“You don’t have to be out in the middle of shooting and all of that, we have people in Germany, in Japan, in the Gulf or in the Red Sea,” Burns said. “We send them boxes to let them know they are loved. We always send them the Beacon so they get to see a piece of home and maybe someone local that they know is in an article. We always send the current paper and we are excited to do that. There was a young lady here today who is going into the army. She leaves in about three weeks for boot camp, and I gave her a goody bag to remind her that we are here. She is going to bring her mother to one of our meetings before she leaves. We try to help the veterans too. We work very closely with the AMVETS, the American Legion and Operation Veterans Helping Veterans. Where ever we can help, that is what we what to do. We serve our country by serving our veterans and our active duty.”
To get a name placed on their list contact Burns at 740-502-0169 or someone with the Blue Star Moms. Give them the address and when they are going into the military.
Category: Multimedia, People & Places, Photo Galleries
