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Biker Brotherhood: Local chapter seeks help in helping vets

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The motorcycles - two Harleys and a Victory - rumbled into a local Krispy Kreme parking lot.

Jared Davis, Britt Anderson and Tim Thompson, Army veterans and members of the Warrior Brotherhood Veterans Motorcycle Club, dismounted and entered the business.

Bikers having donuts - there's a picture for you.

Polite and well spoken, these men and the 11 other members of Chapter C of the club work hard throughout the Tacoma area to promote the message of taking care of veterans who face difficult times.

"There are a lot of vets in the community, and we want to continue to take care and support our own," said Anderson, the chapter vice president. "We are a brotherhood, and we take care of each other."

A 501 (C) 3 nonprofit organization, Chapter C of the Warrior Brotherhood Veterans Motorcycle Club is comprised of military veterans and active duty personnel from all branches of service in the Western Washington area who come together to help other veterans.

"Ironically, our chapter is all Army," Thompson, chapter president, said with a grin. "But I emphasize that we are open to all Servicemembers."

The Warrior Brotherhood Veterans Motorcycle Club is 15 years old and has chapters in all 50 states and in three countries.

Of special interest to Chapter C and its members is the plight of homeless veterans in Pierce County. "Thirty seven percent of homeless people in Washington State are veterans," Davis said. "In Pierce County, 19 percent of the homeless are veterans."

To address this problem, the club holds fundraisers to provide needed items for homeless veterans who are receiving substance abuse treatment or housing assistance at the American Lake Homeless Veterans Transition Center, Thompson explained.

Once a month, members of the local chapter travel to the American Lake facility to deliver everything from hygiene items to clothes and blankets.

"The veterans there are in a 16-week program," Anderson explained.  "We ask them ‘What do you need?'"

All three veterans said that getting clothes for the veterans is easy, but raising funds is tougher. "Sometimes the public sees us as ‘bikers,'" Thompson said.  "We are not; we are veterans who happen to like motorcycles."

The distinction is worth noting.

In its efforts to raise money for and awareness about veterans, the club manages to raise about $5,000 per year.

"We're glad to be able to raise this amount, all of which - every bit - goes to helping veterans," Anderson emphasized. "But we could really use more to help the men and women who have served and who now face some tough challenges."

The club is promoting several upcoming events, including a "Back Wood Tripping" Ride on June 16, its third annual bike show on July 7 and an American Lake Veterans Administration Run on Aug. 11.

"Everyone is invited to participate and give back to those who really need it," Thompson said.

To help the Warrior Brotherhood Veterans Motorcycle Club or to learn more about upcoming events, email wbvmcwedgebolt@gmail.com or call (253) 597-8415.

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