May 27, 2008
Milwaukee, WI - Thanks to a $1 million pledge from the Harley-Davidson Foundation, the 2008 Harley’s Heroes™ Tour to support the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and its Mobile Service Office program will make stops at Harley-Davidson dealerships around the country from May through November. This is the second year of the Harley’s Heroes™ tour. The mission of Harley’s Heroes™ is to provide access to benefits for all veterans and show appreciation for their service and sacrifice to our country.
The tour provides benefits counseling to veterans who have service-connected disabilities but may never have filed a benefits claim. The Mobile Service Office units will appear at various dealer events recognizing veterans and will be staffed by highly trained DAV National Service Officers, all of them wartime disabled veterans.
In 2007, the inaugural tour produced great results. More than 180 Harley-Davidson dealers hosted events serving more than 7,000 veterans.
“Harley’s Heroes™ continues to connect veterans to the benefits they are entitled to receive, and we are proud to join our Harley-Davidson dealers in supporting the men and women who have served our country,” said Gail Lione, President of the Harley-Davidson Foundation.
Many veterans who need the free help the DAV will provide through Harley’s Heroes™ are among the 1.4 million service men and women who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to data released by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 25 percent of those veterans have already filed claims for benefits.
“In the truest sense of our mission to build better lives for disabled veterans, Harley’s Heroes™ will enable the DAV to reach a greater number of veterans and their families.” said Arthur H. Wilson, National Adjutant of the 1.4 million-member DAV. “Many of our youngest veterans are unaware of the benefits they have earned. Informing those veterans of their rights will be a most important task of the DAV during the 2008 Harley’s Heroes™ Tour.”
For an up-to-date list of Harley’s Heroes™ Tour stops or for more information please visit www.harleysheroes.org.