Key West welcomes 44 Wounded Warriors

Soldiering on….

Key West welcomes 44 Wounded Warriors - A group of people riding on the back of a bicycle - Road bicycle racing
Participants in last year’s Soldier Ride pedal down Duval Street. LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

The Key West Military Affairs Committee will host Soldier Ride 2020, a division of the Wounded Warrior Project, starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11.

Forty-four Wounded Warriors will pedal from Naval Air Station Key West at Boca Chica, down U.S. 1 to Key West, where they’ll circle much of the island’s Old Town area before finishing at Bayview Park for an 11:45 a.m. welcome ceremony.

A community ride around Key West is then open to warriors and supporters and will leave from Bayview Park at 1 p.m.

Key West’s Military Affairs Committee is asking residents and visitors to show their support by lining the route and cheering on the warriors while waving American flags. 

Individuals and groups, or teams, may adopt a section of the route and line it with supporters. Organizers suggest being in place by 10 a.m. to avoid road closures and traffic delays.

American flags and other banners line the light poles on Key West’s North Roosevelt Boulevard from the Triangle to Ibis Bay, and more welcome signs, drawing and banners will be added in the coming days.

“The Military Affairs Committee has been presenting the Soldier Ride in Key West for nine or 10 years now,” said MAC president Abe Conn., “It’s our biggest event and it keeps getting bigger through the generosity of this town, the committee, Wounded Warriors and the local military.” 

The Wounded Warriors Project provides several types of free support for veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness or wound while serving in the military on or after Sept. 11, 2001. 

“You are our focus. You are our mission,” states the organization’s website. “Here, you’re not a member – you’re an alumnus, a valued part of a community that’s been where you’ve been, and understands what you need. Everything we offer is free because there’s no dollar value to finding recovery and no limit to what you can achieve.”

Key West welcomes 44 Wounded Warriors - A screenshot of a social media post - Henning Municipal Airport
(provided by Wounded Warrior Project)
Mandy Miles drops stuff, breaks things and falls down more than any adult should. An award-winning writer, reporter and columnist, she's been stringing words together in Key West since 1998. "Local news is crucial," she says. "It informs and connects a community. It prompts conversation. It gets people involved, holds people accountable. The Keys Weekly takes its responsibility seriously. Our owners are raising families in Key West & Marathon. Our writers live in the communities we cover - Key West, Marathon & the Upper Keys. We respect our readers. We question our leaders. We believe in the Florida Keys community. And we like to have a good time." Mandy's married to a saintly — and handy — fishing captain, and can't imagine living anywhere else.