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The true Run for the Wall will not happen this year, but dozens of its riders will visit Cookeville Saturday
Run for the Wall is a veterans motorcycle group that travels across country on its way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.
Cookeville-Putnam County Visitors’ Bureau Executive Director Molly Brown said about 80 riders picked Cookeville to celebrate the Fourth.
“Even the founder of Run for the Wall says Cookeville is that city for them that they look forward to on their annual route,” Brown said. “For them, as veterans, to be able to tie that in with Independence Day, they really wanted to be sure to end it here in Cookeville on Fourth of July.”
Brown said the Tennessee tour will start in Memphis with the grand finale in Cookeville. Riders will end the three-day tour with a special viewing of the Red, White and Boom celebration.
“We are not going to be able to provide them with the hugs and the handshakes and all the things we normal try to do to welcome them to town,” Brown said. “So, in order to make it something special, we are actually going to be providing them with special parking on Veterans Drive for them to view the Red, White and Boom firework show. That will be following their private dinner.”
The riders will come to Cookeville from Highway 111 to Spring Street then travel to Broad Street until taking a right to North Washington Avenue towards the town square. From the square, the riders will then turn left on first street and head to the Leslie Town Center. The riders will approximately arrive at 5:15 p.m.
“We definitely want to see locals out there lining the streets and sidewalks waving their flags for them and welcome them to our town,” Brown said.
This is the seventh year the Run for the Wall has stopped by Cookeville on their tours. Brown said having the veterans come through Cookeville is an honor.
