Ride Report: ALR Director’s Challenge March 2023
Honoring veterans and learning local history on two wheels
In order to give myself an incentive to explore some new roads, this year I decided to participate in the Missouri American Legion Riders Director’s Challenge. It is a year-long photo scavenger hunt designed to get riders out and about, raise scholarship money, learn a little history, and honor those who have served our nation in uniform.
Riders make a donation to the Legion Riders’ scholarship fund in order to receive a towel with their personal number. Five points are awarded for visiting memorials, one point is awarded for visiting American Legion posts, and ten points are awarded for Boy Scout Statue of Liberty replicas. Riders even receive bonus points for finding replicas that the organizers did not know about.
March 2023 Stops:
- Sikeston: Legion Post 114
- Sikeston: Veterans Park and Harvey Parks Air Base (F-4, T-48, and Army helicopter static display)
- Benton: Scott County Soldiers and Sailors Monument
- Cape Girardeau: Airport A-4 Skyhawk static display
- Cape Girardeau: Humvee static display at VFW Post 3838
- Cape Girardeau: Veterans Wall of Fame, flood wall mural
- Cape Girardeau: US Colored Troops Monument at Ivers Square
- Cape Girardeau: Fort A Memorial
- Cape Girardeau: American Legion Monument at Arena Park
The event is organized by ALR director, Brian Sapp, and functions very much like a statewide Tour of Honor. During the month of March I managed to pick up 71 points which was enough to briefly put me in second place. That standing did not last long, but it felt to get off to such a good start.
