Message to 7 Fallen: ‘We’re with you’
LACONIA, N.H. — Sam Wildt, owner of Corpsman Up military apparel and accessories brand based in West Boylston, Mass., said he was “shocked” when the Jarheads asked his business to make official merchandise to honor the seven motorcyclists who were killed in the tragic New Hampshire crash.
Wildt, a veteran and biker himself, sold Jarheads T-shirts and stickers at the Broken Spoke Saloon, the startingpoint of the Ride for the 7 Fallen motorcycle ride as a fundraiser, and he also sells hoodies, patches and other products online.
“Knowing there are seven families that are hurting, and I know we aren’t going to bring them back or anything, but we can reduce the financial burden for them or show support and how much the community cares about them,” said Wildt.
One hundred percent of the profits from the Jarheads merchandise is going straight back to the organization, said Wildt, who added that his online Jarheads sales have reached over $40,000.
“I always wanted to be involved because I’m a disabled veteran, too. It’s a veteran community,” said Wildt. “It’s bikers and veterans — what are you going to get? You’re going to get a big turnout.”
For some spectators of the ride such as Larry Stanley, a Boston native who spends the summer in New Hampshire, the motorcycle crash hits too close to home.
Stanley said he was hit on his motorcycle four years ago by a driver going the wrong way down a one-way street in Laconia and he broke all his ribs.
“He went down the one-way street the wrong way and there’s no stop signs so he drove right through me,” said Stanley.
Stanley said that accident has made him more cautious and he decided not to join the Ride for the 7 Fallen, but instead cheer them on along the route.
“I’d rather not ride today,” said Stanley, who added that the size of the ride was impressive.
Mal Flanders, a biker from Tilton, N.H., with Brothers of the Third Wheel, drives a trike instead of a motorcycle and has been riding for 58 years.
Flanders proudly displayed a Jarheads sticker on the front of his trike. His message to the families and friends of the victims was simple, “Buckle up, we’re with you.”