I can't even begin to express how much my family and I love getting to be a part of this event and the incredible group of folks who show up and support everything we do! First, a HUGE shout-out to
@Mulishajoe,
@jeepin' jen,
@tobaccoroad4wd and his wife @TheAshleyHorton,
@Keith1138, Clay and also who could forget the great breaded one,
@amcjeepman, and everyone else who helped out in any way, shape, or form. And, of course, a HUGE thank-you to everyone who came out and attended. We appreciate every single one of you!
Those who know me know I love story time. My circle is small, and I'm not exactly the most social person in the world, but we're working on that! LOL. So, I want to share a little story about something that happened to me this morning, November 9, 2026. I got to work this morning, parked in my unassigned parking spot (but everyone knows better than to steal it

), and one of my coworkers was waiting on me. He's a Marine Corps Reserve E-6 who has served for 16 years, doing mutiple tours while on of his deployment ending in him waking up in a German hospital after his hummer hit an IED and he just reenlisted for another four. Now for a Navy guy that didnt leave the states and was a computer nerd that is huge and he is a true hero but yet he thanks me? Man that really hit home. He handed me this coin and thanked me for everything PVA does. He wanted to hear all about the event and see all the pictures! Unfortunately, he couldn't attend the event this weekend because he had drill. However, for the last couple of years, I've made it a point to bring him a Uwharrie Veterans Day coin as a small way of saying thank you for everything he has done and continues to do. Now, I'm going to be honest with y'all for a minute. I don't know if it was the lack of sleep, being completely overwhelmed with joy, or just everything finally catching up with me, but the floodgates opened, and I lost it. Before I knew it, I had tears running down my face, and I couldn't even get his coin out of my freaking pocket to hand it to him. He eventually headed inside while all I could manage to say was, "Thanks, buddy."
Once I finally collected myself, he got his hug, his coin, AND a whole box of purple crayons (his favorite flavor... I don't know, but you do you, little Marine!).

And that's what this is all about, folks. Whether you showed up in person or supported us from afar, whether you volunteered your time, donated, helped behind the scenes, spread the word, or simply showed your support, please know that every bit of it means more to us than you could ever imagine.
From my family and everyone at Patriot Veteran Alliance, THANK YOU for making the Uwharrie Veterans Day Ride what it is. We appreciate every single one of you! Now, we're going to take a couple of weeks to catch our breath, get some rest, and soak it all in. Then we'll be right back at it, planning for next year's events and activities! Love y'all! Have a blessed day.