In its 20th year, Ride for Homeless Vets continues to grow; fundraising surpasses $400,000

When Tom Grates first heard the term “homeless veterans,” the Tarentum resident was appalled.

“It made me sick,” Grates said. “I’m a vet, my dad and grandfather were both vets, and my son’s in the military now.

“I figured I’d better do something to address this.”

It was 20 years ago that Grates proposed a motorcycle-only poker run to raise money.

Since then, the Ride for Homeless Vets has grown to attract as many as 1,200 motorcyclists.

It has brought in $400,000 to help ensure that servicemen and women are cared for.

“Every dollar we bring in is directly donated to the care and rehab of homeless vets,” Grates said. “There are no administrative fees taken out.”

In recent years, proceeds have paid to refurbish rooms at Shepherd’s Heart, a transitional shelter in Pittsburgh, and to buy computers for similar facilities.

Online registration is open for the June 9 event. Bikers also can sign up from 9 to 11 a.m. the day of the ride at the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Harrison.

The ride kicks off at 11:30 a.m., with the first stop at the Saxonburg VFW.

“We leave as one big group with a police escort. And when we get to Saxonburg, everyone pulls their cards and then we leave there in little groups,” said committee member Jeff “Wheels” Shaffer.

The second stop is for lunch at the West Sunbury American Legion in Butler County before riders wind back through Armstrong County, stopping at the Ford City VFW.

“If it’s a sunny day, we can get upward of 1,200 riders,” Shaffer said. “In one day, we can do a lot of good.”

Shaffer said the event works to raise awareness of the plight of homeless veterans. Much of the crowd waiting back at the VFW is people who want to support the cause, he said.

Nonriders can buy a ticket and enjoy food, auctions and a live band into the evening.

Grates has pulled in some donations from big-name celebrities to help boost the auctions. Rockers John Mellencamp and Ted Nugent each gave an autographed guitar, and Steelers great Rocky Bleier signed a vintage jersey.

“We work all year-round on this,” Grates said. “As soon as the ride ends, we start the next day.”

Their method appears to be working. The first ride two decades ago drew about 100 people and raised $3,500. It quickly outgrew its starting point along East Fourth Avenue in Tarentum.

Now, they can barely contain the number of bikes in the expansive VFW lot. Last year, proceeds topped $36,000.

“The money is great, but the awareness is just as important,” Grates said. “This is a growing problem. We’re seeing more and more families out on the streets.”