The much-anticipated return of Run For The Wall occurs on May 25 and 26 in Withers Park.
The “Welcome Home Ceremony” will begin around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, in Withers Park. Residents are encouraged to come out and welcome them as the group arrives via Exit 70 and Fourth Street. Following a brief ceremony, the group will parade down Main Street to their hotels. A dinner hosted by the Wytheville Moose Lodge will conclude the evening.
One of RFTW’s favorite Wytheville experiences occurs on Thursday (May 26) morning as the students of Spiller Elementary School provide a special welcome program beginning at 9 a.m. in Withers Park. Run For The Wall will depart with a Main Street parade at approximately 9:30 a.m.
Wytheville became a stop when a Southern Route was begun in 2001. There are three routes from California to Washington, DC. The journey takes the riders across the United States simultaneously for 12 days each May to raise awareness concerning the POW/MIAs from all wars that have never returned home. The effort was started by a couple of Vietnam Veterans who traveled across America on motorcycles, talking to local radio, TV, and newspapers about the thousands of men and women still unaccounted for from all wars. Their goal destination is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial which they reach on the Friday evening before Memorial Day. For more information, visit www.RFTW.org.
