ONTARIO, CA (May 15, 2026) |
ArrowHeart Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit of Arrowhead Credit Union, went “Kickstands Up” on Wednesday, May 13 as volunteers participated in the send-off of more than 700 riders for the annual Run for the Wall®. The 10-day ride to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, DC, and the 3-day “run” from DC to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois, honors veterans and families while raising awareness for the Prisoners of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) who are still not home.
ArrowHeart volunteers gathered at the starting point in Ontario, California, to support the riders and give them care packages in a light, compact bag they could use on their trip. The bag included some travel essentials such as hand warmers, tissues, sunscreen, snacks, candy, eye glass wipes, and more. Later, volunteers met riders at one of their stops on May 14, in Needles, California to provide lunch and hand out more travel care packages.
“This is the fifth year ArrowHeart has participated in this event,” said Stefanie Villalobos, VP, Philanthropy & Community Impact. “It is one event that many of our volunteers enjoy participating in because it’s a continuing reminder that our nation’s freedom rests on the commitment and sacrifices of our military.”
Run for the Wall®is truly a favorite among Arrowhead team members, and participation has grown every year. This year, twenty-four of volunteers participated, making it the highest turnout at this event to date.
The ride follows three routes across the nation: the Central Route through the lower mid-western states, the Midway Route through the northern part of the South, and the Southern Route through the Deep South and up through Tennessee and North Carolina before reaching Washington, DC. Each route will take 400+ riders across a variety of unique and vast landscapes throughout the country.
Each rider who participates in the journey brings their own experiences and reasons for riding.
Husband and wife Mike and Maria Hootman are riding with the event for the first time. Mike is a veteran Air Force airman who served for four years. He also spent 12 years as a motorcycle officer with the California Highway Patrol.
“It’s exciting and cool to see so many people out supporting this,” he said.
Maria, who is riding as a passenger on Mike’s motorcycle, was moved at seeing so many riders and said, “In a way, you get overwhelmed. You start thinking about all the sacrifices everyone has made and are still being made to this day. All the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, everybody, it’s a very touching experience. I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Air Force veteran, Jeff Beck, who has been riding with the American Legion for 10 years, is a first-time Run for the Wall®rider. Beck packed his saddlebag with plenty of fluids for the trip and plans to pick up food and snacks at each stop along the way. When asked for one word to describe his feeling about the trip, he responded, “Exciting.”
Joel “Padre” Graves, who is on his third ride with Run for the Wall®, and as a combat veteran and chaplain, says this ride is a spiritual experience for him. Graves likes to share his beliefs through his actions. “As a chaplain, you’re trying to live the gospel.” Graves said. “Our motto is ‘Be a Light not a Mouth’; so, with that in mind we’re embracing people and stand with them. If they need a hug or a talk or a kick in the pants that’s us.”
Riders will arrive at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC on Saturday, May 23. On Sunday, May 24 they will ride “Wall to Wall” to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Illinois and arrive on Tuesday, May 26.
ArrowHeart honors veterans and service members in several ways throughout the year. To honor Memorial Day, ArrowHeart volunteers will pay tribute to fallen heroes by placing flags at the final resting places of service members throughout Riverside National Cemetery. This year they will also add flags at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. During the holidays, ArrowHeart volunteer teams work together to create care packages they send to service members who are serving far from home.
“Honoring our service members and veterans is especially meaningful to our Foundation,” said Villalobos. “Many of us have family members – fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends – who have served. We relish the opportunities to support our service members and give back whenever we can.”
For more information about the ArrowHeart Foundation, visit arrowheadcu.org/arrowheart.