MONROE, N.C. — The American Legion Post 27 Legion, located at 700 Sutherland Ave., hosted the inaugural Blessing of the Bikes for its Legion Riders club Saturday afternoon, March 23.
Riders, bikers, family and friends gathered in the lounge to give the group blessings during the upcoming riding season.
According to a Facebook post from the legion, the group is made up of American Legion Post 27 veterans, supporters of the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion. There are 17 members in the Legion Riders club.
American Legion Post 27, founded in 1919, was originally named in honor of the late Melvin Deese. He was killed in action during World War I in Germany on Aug. 14, 1918.
Legion Chaplain Howie Pitts, who organized the Legion Riders group in 2021, said a lot of legions perform such blessing events, but the Monroe club had not done it before. All members of the local Legion Riders club belong to American Legion Post 27.
Pitts recognizes many veterans go through conflicts after their military service.
“We’re trying to bring awareness to the veterans’ organizations and we’re trying to bring awareness of motorcycles being out here,” Pitts said. “We’re trying to give riders a better feeling about our riding season being blessed as riders.”
Blue Knights MA VI Chaplain David Akin from South Yarmouth, Mass., blessed the bikers with a Catholic prayer and sprinkled water on the bikers and riders with a broom. The broom represented the sprinkling of holy water.
Pitts is optimistic about making the event happen again next year. For now, his mission is to “lift somebody’s spirit.”
“A lot of veterans are in very dark places right now,” Akin said. “They’ve been through a lot. They’ve seen a lot that people off the streets will understand. If we bring faith in that, we can help them out and get them out of the holes they’re in to make them feel better.”
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