ALR Choose Alex McVicker
as Honorary Member

Monday, March 17, 2008 -- by Amy Erickson of the Le Mars Daily Sentinel

Alex McVicker may not own a motorcycle, but he does everything else with the American Legion Riders.

That's why on Sunday he became an honorary member of the American Legion Riders (ALR) Post 241 of Le Mars. Alex attended the rider's monthly meeting, where he was presented with his own black ALR vest with the words "Honorary Member" on the back. As Paul Grant, president of ALR local chapter, helped him with his new vest -- Alex was speechless -- and the crowd cheered and clapped.

"I am overwhelmed," Alex said later. "I never thought this would happen."

Karen Paulsen, Alex's aunt, and a member of the ALR asked the riders to make Alex an honorary member because of his participation in the group.

"I was overwhelmed by how much positive reception for it." Paulsen said.

All 121 members of the ALR voted unanimously to bring Alex on board.

Grant said Alex is always around when he's needed.

"He's a flag bearer at funerals. He's in parades. He helps with fundraisers," Grant said. "He really appreciates and wants to be around our group."

A big part of Alex's involvement in the ALR stems from his grandparents, who were both in the service. He was also one of the flag bearers at his grandpa's funeral.

Cathy VanMaanen, Alex's mom, said his being in the group will be a way to carry on the family legacy.

"It will be his way to continue on what his grandpa and grandma started," she said.

The ALR, which got its start in 2006, is affiliated with the American Legion, and to be a member you must own a motorcycle with an engine size more than 350 ccs. Members must also belong to the American Legion, Sons of the American Legion or the Auxiliary, Grant said.

"It's a motorcycle enthusiast group in the American Legion," Grant said of the ALR. "It's a new avenue to bring in membership on a younger scale."

The ALR is a community-minded organization willing to help wherever needed, he added.

"We take care of our veterans any way we can," Grant said. "We'll be there to help the family any way we can."

For Alex, being a member of the ALR is something he never expected. Just to be able to attend the meetings with his friends and continue his involvement is enough.

"I felt really honored," Alex said. "It means I get to spend more time with my biker friends."

 

National 40 & 8 Honors Bobbo & Spook
(15 Feb 08) Bob Helwig and Wayne Thieman of our very own Northwest Iowa American Legion Riders were mentioned in the national "Forty and Eighter" publication. 

 

Congratulations!

(26 Jan 08) I just heard Rambo and Teresa have a new grandson, born last Friday. Cool!

 
George Spain Update

(15 Dec 07) Just got an e-mail from George. He recently had an MRI, and is CANCER FREE! 
 
 
NWIAALR Press Release: 
Community Supports Soldier 

Oct. 3, 2007, Sioux City, IA -- It's difficult to make the decision to put on a uniform and serve one's country. Le Mars, Iowa native Joe Delaschmutt made that decision a few years ago. 

It's difficult to leave your loved ones behind to go overseas to fight an enemy that relies on booby traps and explosives and rarely shows his face. But when the Iowa Army National Guard was called to serve in Iraq, Delaschmutt did his duty and left to fight in the war.

Now 20-something Delaschmutt is fighting a different difficult battle. While serving in Iraq, Delaschmutt was diagnosed with leukemia, a form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. He was sent home for treatment.

The battle with leukemia is never easy. Delaschmutt has already undergone a bone marrow transplant, and is now waiting for stem cell transplantation to be performed in Omaha, NE, his sister volunteering as donor.

Stem cell transplantation is not an easy procedure, and will require yet another extensive stay in hospital for Delaschmutt. 

"When I heard what Joe's going through, I knew we had to do something," said Northwest Iowa American Legion Rider president Jerry Hansen. "When we escorted Joe home with our motorcycles last winter, we all hoped for the best. Unfortunately, Joe's still struggling, and the bills are piling up." 

Hansen continued, "So we made some phone calls, had a few meetings, and came up with the idea." 

The idea consists of a series of fund-raising ventures for Delaschmutt, culminating in a Soup and Pie Supper to be held on October 27 at the American Legion Hall in Le Mars. "We have a team of people ready to make the soups," Hansen continued, "and our Legion Riders will be bringing pies. The meal is a 'free-will donation,' and we'll sell the pies afterwards." There will also be an auction following the meal, with all proceeds going to help Delaschmutt. "Besides pies, we have lots of items that have been donated for the cause. We'll be auctioning all that off, too." Hansen paused to smile. "And since we need to have a microphone and speakers there for the auction anyway, we decided to have a DJ and dance afterwards." 

"The support we've had for this is phenomenal," said Hansen. "Several of our Legion Rider members have donated their time as photographers, taking portraits and donating the money, and another member sold 72 squares of fabric and is making a quilt, again, donating the money to Joe's fund. We've had help from the Support Siouxland Soldiers organization, Timmy's Catering, and Vantus Bank has agreed to help out as well." 

Anyone wishing to help is encouraged to come to the Soup and Pie Supper at the American Legion Wasmer Post 241 in Le Mars on October 27. The meal will be served from 5 to 8 p.m., with the auction and entertainment following. Cash donations can also be made at Vantus Bank in Le Mars.

 

Joe Delaschmutt

(17 Sep 07) On October 27 the ALR will be hosting a Soup and Pie Dinner at the Legion in Le Mars. The proceeds will go to Joe Delaschmutt and his family. We're needing volunteers to work that day, and we also could use some nice pies. 

In addition to the Soup and Pie Dinner, Kris Harvey is putting together a quilt for Joe. She's made up 72 squares to use in the quilt. Anyone who wants can "sponsor" a square and put a personal message on the square for $10. All proceeds go to Joe. 

Barb Hansen and HippieBoy have been taking posed photographs of ALR members with their bikes. For $10 they'll take your photo and print out a nice 8x10 for you. The cost to make the photo is about $4; the other $6 will go straight to the Delaschmutt fund. If anyone's interested, please e-mail HippieBoy.

Joe is a local soldier who returned from Iraq with leukemia. They need our help.


Siouxland Sleep-Out

(17 Sep 07) We had a speaker at our September meeting from the Siouxland Sleep-Out, a program to end homelessness in the Siouxland area. In a nutshell, volunteers will take pledges and donations and will spend the night November 16th in boxes and tents at Explorer Stadium in Sioux City to gather awareness and funding for area homeless. Monies raised go to support the Henry Muller Hall for homeless men and Shesler Hall for homeless women, as well as other similar agencies. 

If you're interested in helping out by volunteering to sleep out, donating a few bucks, or simply spreading the word, you can contact Mike Wood at 712-255-1691, or you can e-mail him HERE. Several ALR members are already signed up to sleep out, including Rambo, Seamus, Dog, Hippie, and a few others. 


Note from George Spain

(17 Aug 07) We would like to "THANK " everyone from the bottom of our hearts. It was so heartwarming to us for being the recipient of the first Healing Run of the American Legion Riders Association held on Aug 11, 2007. Kim and I were very surprised and thankful. Between the Healing Run donation and items donated by local merchants and auctioned off, a total of $829 was collected. Way more than I thought possible. We really do appreciate it and we can't say thank you all enough for you generosity and compassion. That will certainly help pay for mediations that I continue to need and all that food I need to eat to maintain my weight!! We're still in a battle and were heading uphill. We have finished radiation and will start chemotherapy the last week of August. We find out on 24 Aug 07 what the treatment plan will be.

From the beginning to the end; all our stops were great and we were welcomed with open arms. On our last stop of course I just had to win the Ugliest Biker contest. Not only would I like to thank everyone that rode, but a SPECIAL Thank You to everyone that actually planned and executed the whole run, safely and with all the special things they did to make it even more fun. I think we all had fun and need more of these events to help our brothers in need. We started a great tradition, lets keep it going.

-- Thanks, George & Kim Spain
Brothers & Sisters Forever
Where the Stars & Stripes and Eagles Fly FREE


I personally would like to thank the Legion Riders and their families for giving George another family. He loved the Army and the military lifestyle. He stayed until they finally told him he had to get out today; he could not spend one more day in the Army. He fights for what he believes in, and this fight with brain cancer is not different. He will not give up, so please keep him in your prayers and thoughts. He will return to ride with you all again.

-- Kim


News About ALR Member George Spain

From George's wife, Kim, 15 June 07: George has been doctoring since May 9, 2007. His symptoms were headaches, weakness, tired, fatigued, depressed. In the 4 weeks his medications were increased, and he was given a migrain medication. During Memorial Day Weekend his walk had changed, from slumping his left shoulder and tilting his head in the same direction. He was so tired he couldn't move his left foot to raise the kickstand on his bike. Fellow friends would turn his bike around after he had parked it for him. George was approached by fellow co-workers for the first time since not being at work. They wanted to know what was wrong with him. At this time he was being treated for anxiety, depression, fatigue and severe headaches.

After Memorial I had him go to the chiropractor. On Thursday he did a strength test, and a pinwheel reflex test on George. It showed significant loss of weakness on the left side and no reflex on left side. On Friday we talked with family members, and we asked his family physician to order an MRI. We had thought back thru the months, and remember a night of George slurring his words,and another weekend everything he ate tasted like oil.

We actually had the MRI done on Monday (June 4th) afternoon, because of a cancellation. We went directly from this office facility to Mercy Hospital. George had a mass on his brain. When we got to the hospital they were waiting for him. He had brain surgery Tuesday night. He has GBM Cancer of the brain. (Glioplastoma Multiforme Cancer). This is the worst type of cancer in the brain. It is a reoccurring cancer. The good news for George is that he is right handed, and where this was located in the right temple to the middle of his forehead, was the best place for him. It affects his left side of his body. Also this type of cancer is not always operable, and his was. Another thing even when they operate, they can't get it all, and they did for him. If and when this cancer comes back, it will come back in the same place of the brain. So if it does come back, were hoping we can still operate, and get it all. We are very positive that we can do this all over if need be.

George should have been in intensive care for two nights, he spent 11 hours. Then he was to spend 7 days in the stroke unit, he spent 2-1/2 days. We came home Friday morning. When he awoke he took a 360 degree turn from when he went in. We shaved his head, and I really like it. Had George not have been operated on, he would have been gone in the next month. The tumor was the size of a baseball, with two fingers off of it. The fingers weren't attached to the skull, again lucky. But the tumor had no more room to grow. It is fast acting. Only a 3 to 12 month gestation period. We will start radiation in two weeks. Probably do that for 6 weeks. We have to wait, because we had chemo wafers embedded into his brain during surgery, and they need to dissolve. Can't do both chemo and radiation at the same time. After the six weeks we will be on the smart pill. You take 5 days out of every 28 days. Cost is extremely high. I guess, he is worth it. We are doing great, AND I really mean it. We have been to the deepest part of our lives, but now were on a high note. We have some of the best doctors in the world working on him. His neurosurgeon, is from Iceland, His oncologist is from the Philippines, and we haven't met his radiologist until next week. His 3 daughters are arriving at different times next week and leaving at different times, also his mother is coming.

Right now we request no unexpected visitors, but do call and write anytime. I've been screening, and if I feel he can talk, I let him. Keep him in your prayers.

Love, Kim and George.
(712) 274-0194

Run for the Wall

(24 May 07) In case you missed it, there were articles in the LeMars Daily Sentinel and the Sioux City Journal about the Run for the Wall guys; both reporters interviewed Wayne "Spook" Thieman. Both papers graciously gave us permission to reprint the articles - you can find links to them on Wayne's page.


Photos Wanted

Our Historian, Robert D. Connor, keeps photo albums of the group's activities, so if you have any neat photos, maybe give him a copy. He's also putting together a bulletin board of photos to put in our booth at the Plymouth County Fair. Sometimes, though, he gets too many photos of an event to put in the book - he puts the "leftover" photos in a box. Anyone is welcome to poke through the photo box and keep any photos they want. 

 

ALR Banner

(23 May 07) A big thanks to Tailgunner for donating this big huge colorful and really nifty banner to the group!

 

Upcoming Events

(13 May 07) Just a quick note to remind you to please check our Calendar of Events every now and then - things do change occasionally.

 

Kudos

Earl Draayer has been selected to be on the Colonel Bud Day Commission.

Wayne Thieman has been chosen to ride in a place of honor in the Missing Man formation for a section of the Run for the Wall this coming May.


E-Mail Group (Updated)

(19 Mar 07) - I have officially signed us all up for a "Google Group." This allows us to e-mail nwiaalr@googlegroups.com and have the message go to EVERYONE in the Chapter who has e-mail. If you haven't gotten an e-mail yet explaining all this, it means I don't have your e-mail in the system or I typed it in incorrectly -- if this is the case, please e-mail me HERE and let me know. I'll get it fixed as soon as I can!

If anyone wants to change their preferences as far as the group e-mail goes, you can go to HERE to mess around with it a bit. I've got things set up so that if someone wants to send us junk mail they gotta go through me first, so hopefully that won't be a problem.

 

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