There are two members of the Patriot Riders who also serve as Honor Guard members. What a beautiful and important service that they provide for our fallen and deceased veterans, giving them the honors they deserve for serving our country. Here they are at one of the Two Rivers Raiders football game volunteering their time for the community.
As a mother of one of the Patriot Riders junior volunteers, I would like to thank this organization for starting the Junior Volunteer program. My daughter loves to participate in some of their activities and especially visiting our veterans in the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. She is learning the importance of giving back and respecting our veterans and older members of the public. Lastly, they have an annual awards ceremony for their juniors and a day or two during the year where they take the kids on outings. This picture is from the Manitowoc County Fair - Junior Volunteer day.
I have been helping this organization as a volunteer for some of their fundraisers since they formed this nonprofit in June 2022. As a wife (widow) of a Vietnam Veteran, I am very proud to support the Patriot Riders Chapter 2. They continuously look for veterans in need so they can help improve their lives and thank them for their service. They are very supportive of other veteran service organizations and other community nonprofits and fundraisers.
I just wanted to say what a great organization! I got to meet the Vice President, Jenny, recently and was impressed with what this organization is doing for our veterans and families. I am a supporter of their facebook page and recently donated to them. Keep up the good work!
PatriotRidesWIC2 10/03/2024
Thank you very much for your review and kind words. We will definitely let her know she is doing a great job promoting our organization. Thank you for your support!
My husband and I were out to dinner recently at a local restaurant in Manitowoc when we encountered two members of the Patriot Riders having a meal. They had noticed that a older gentleman came in with a veteran's hat and was having dinner by himself. After paying for their meal, they went over and introduced themselves, sat down and talked with him for about 10 minutes while he waited for his food. They gave him a gift certificate and asked him to accept the meal from the Patriot Riders. This gentleman was glowing, not from the free meal, but that they took time out to talk to him. His smile lit up the restaurant telling stories about his time in the service. After they left, this gentleman cried happy tears and was smiling through his whole meal. I asked the waitress about them, and she told me, this is something they do almost every time they are here. What a wonderful organization for our community and veterans!
I am a disabled Desert Storm Veteran and recently attended their 2nd Annual Dustin J Knapp car show. I sincerely appreciate all they do the for community and us veterans and military. I am even more pleased to know that in honor of the founders son - they donate their proceeds to Desert Veterans of Wisconsin. I am proud to support them.
I am a United States Navy Vietnam Veteran and recently had a financial emergency and needed help to get a new HVAC system installed for medical purposes due to my time in Vietnam. The Patriot Riders and 2 other agencies came together and were able to help me. I was at a loss for words and can't express my thank you enough to this group.
I am a Army Veteran who recently became homeless and was afraid to ask for help. A friend reached out to the community and Patriot Riders answered. I had a safe place to sleep, hot showers and food while I looked for my next place. Thank you Jenny and Tommy!
I came in contact with Jenny about a year ago. After coming across their Facebook profile I wanted to find out more about the organization and help in any way that I could to support them. Several family members and friends have served or continue to serve in every branch of the military. My great uncle( Dan L Pfister) was the first Viet Nam casualty from Door County. I have deep family roots in Manitowoc Kewaunee and Door county. I am honored to help in any way the veterans who live there. I do so in honor and in memory of many.
Hi my name is Gene. I am a Vietnam Veteran and recently the Patriot Riders Chapter 2 have been there to help me when I needed them. Originally, they were going to be finishing the siding on my home, but I experienced a fire the week before they started. I had to move into an apartment until the home is redone. Jenny surprised me and gave Bumpa PaPa a "Spa Day" and bought him new harness, leash, toys and treats to surprise me when we were reunited. She and I spent time together running errands after that and we talk on the phone frequently. A true friend she is and I am thankful for her!
Patriot Riders
It’s been almost a year since I’ve joined the American Legion of Two Rivers and soon after, I attended my first American Legion meeting. At that meeting was Jenny Matte, treasurer of the Patriot Riders of Wisconsin, Chapter 2. At this meeting, Jenny announced that the Green Bay Gamblers were donating Gambler game tickets to the Patriot Riders to give to Veterans. I graciously accepted 4 tickets to a game and treated my 2 grandkids and a friend of theirs to a game. Besides the kids and I having a great night watching the Gamblers win their game, I was also publicly acknowledged for my service with the United States Marine Corps. Thank you Green Bay Gamblers for the tickets and appreciation and a special thanks to Jenny Matte and the Patriot Riders of Wisconsin for connecting me with the Gamblers for the tickets.
Hi, my name is Clarice Hagen. I joined Patriot Riders of America WI Chapter 2 less than a year ago. I was treated as family at the very 1st meeting. I was in the Army Reserves for 25 years and I totally believe in what we do. Patriot Riders of America do fundraising events to raise money for Veterans- like Car Shows, have Brat Fries, and Chili Cook-offs. We visit Assisted Living Homes to visit and honor veterans for their service. We are always looking for new members. (You don't need to be a motorcycle rider to join. Just be a good person.) :-)
I am a recent recipient of the Patriot Riders Chapter 2 generosity. My father served in Korea and needed help in his yard with chores to prepare for winter cleaning up after a storm that hit in August. I live in New Mexico so it was difficult for me to stay for a long period and help get his yard cleaned up. I reached out to the Patriot Riders after receiving a recommendation from another Veteran in Sheboygan. A couple members and 2 of their volunteers came out and finished what I started. They were kind enough to send me photos after they were done with the work. Not too many people will do what they did especially without being paid, but they spent 6 hours helping my father and only accepted a hand shake and a thank you.
Hello my name is Arly G. I've only been to a couple of the events of the Patriot Riders of America Chapter 2. Gold Star Ceremony, they give flags to a family that lost a relative while on active duty. A chili cook off where money was raised for vets through a raffle. Some of the monet from raffles is used for vets to go on the Old Glory Flight. I'm proud of this organization & my brother Tommy the president. They help vets with chores they can't do themselves. They also repair lawn mowers & snowblowers. The best thing they did, with help of volunteers was clean gravestones of vets. These vets kept us all safe while on duty or some maybe gave it all.
My father and my uncles served in World War 2, a tradition of US military service going back to the 1800's in my family. In turn, I value the service that Patriot Riders of America WI Chapter 2 provides for military veterans. The group goes the extra mile to support events such as Old Glory Honor Flight so deserving veterans can travel miles to DC. Go to their Facebook page--events like repair-tuneups for veterans' snowblowers, safe Halloween activities for children, and so many more show that Patriot Riders engages the community and can do more in a day than other organizations might do in a week! Time might forget the importance of America's veterans, but the members of this organization and its supporters do not.
Hi, I volunteered with 22 Too Many to dedicate a bench and help a family remember their military veteran who had lost his life. Patriot Riders Chapter 2 provided an escort to the family's home and stayed for the entire dedication to visit and encourage this brave family. I immediately felt welcomed and comfortable with all these Chapter 2 members and they were so encouraging and supportive! They also know how to make Marines feel welcomed and usually carry a few extra crayons along :-). Love these great people! Semper Fi!
Old Glory Honor Flight has been a proud beneficiary of the Patriot Riders Of America WI Chapter 2 fundraising efforts. Through their hard work and dedication to our mission, they’ve donated funds to send several veterans on an Old Glory Honor Flight mission and we are very grateful!
Hello, my name is Paul H. and I am an US Army Military Police Veteran. I have known the president, Tom for about 50 years and helped raise him after his dad passed away. We are very lucky to have a great organization like this around to support us Veterans, as Tom has always taken a personal approach to helping others in need and encourages his members to do the same. His team has been doing a great job in the community helping other Veterans and setting a good example for our younger generation! I am proud to support the Patriot Riders and appreciate the help they have given to me. Thank you Paully.
Last month, the Patriot Riders, Chapter 2 of Wisconsin helped organize a special escort for a friend of mine in Manitowoc County. Her son was a United States Marine who committed suicide and a company out of California, called Operation Creekside worked with his mother to design a bench in memory of Morgan. The Patriot Riders were contacted and asked to help organize an escort to her house to present the bench. They did it with less than a 2 week notice and it was wonderful! Thank you very much for your time and support to the family!
What can I say about the Patriot Riders Wisconsin Chapter 2, besides this . . . For the past 2 summers I have had to use an old walk behind lawnmower to take care of my yard because I could not afford to get my riding lawnmower mixed. By chance, I was talking to another Veteran at our Legion meeting, and he told me about the Patriot Riders and the President and some of the things they are doing for us in the community. I took a chance and called the number. The President, Tommy, came over the next day and looked at my riding lawnmower. It was a simple fix and he had it running before he left. That was 5 weeks ago, and it is still running and working great! He would not accept any money for his time. He said this is why we are here for our Veterans; I hope this makes things a little easier for you.
My name is Carl and I am a Vietnam Veteran who served 1967-1968. I was very fortunate to meet their Treasurer, Jenny, at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum this past spring. We spent about 30 minutes talking about just about everything Manitowoc and Two Rivers, when I told her that I was veteran and served in Vietnam. She proceeded to tell me about the Patriot Riders and what their nonprofits goals are. Just by chance, my lawn was starting to grow and my lawnmower wasn't working and local shops were 2 to 3 weeks out on their schedule. She told me that is a service that we provide to our Veterans if they are in need. The next day, their President showed up in my driveway, picked up and fixed my lawnmower and gave it check over - new spark plug, new filter, oil change, sharpened the blade and cleaned the carburetor. He brought it back 3 hours later ready to go! And it had a full tank of gas to. Do you how much he charged me? Absolutely nothing. He just asked for a hand shake and smile and thanked me for my service. In late September he will be do a maintenance check on my snow blower. A truly wonderful group and President who cares about us Veterans. God bless them.
I am the Sgt at Arms for the Patriot Riders Wi Chapter 2 of Manitowoc for 1 year. I am also a veteran of the US Army National Guard. It is an honor to help and see the smile on veterans faces. Thank you to all veterans for what you do and what you have done for our country! Much love and respect .
I am the Secretary for the Patriot riders of America WI Chapter 2. I joined this organization because I have the up most respect for our military veterans and there families. I come from a line of military veterans. My grandfather was a veteran, my mother is a veteran and served as a nurse in the Army. My uncle is a veteran. My children's grandfather was a veteran who fought in the Vietnam War. My friends step dad( a father figure to me) was a Navy Veteran. Also my soon to be husband also the Sgt at arms is a Army veteran.
Throughout the years I have herd many stories about what they went through and how there families were impacted. As a child I grew up wanting to help support and be a voice for them. Some of the stories thar I have herd over the years have touched my heart in so many ways.
With in the last year of being apart of this organization I my self have met and spent alot of time with more veterans and their families. I don't know how many tears I have shed for our veterans and the families and there sacrifices that they all made for my freedom.
Every event that I have been able to attend, from brat frys, Gold Star Flag Ceremony Presentations, Chili cook offs, Ride Cruses, Helping shovel snow, Cleaning gutters, mowing lawns, paying for dinner or just simply spending time.
Giving my time back to these amazing people has taught me so much more then I ever knew. The love and appreciation of knowing that are not forgotten.
So many don't want to be thanked or don't think that they don't deserve thanks because it's just what the were called to do.
But with what we as an Organization do has shown them that ther deserve the thanks and the love and support.
Earlier this year I was very pleased to hear that the Patriot Riders of America Wisconsin Chapter 2 was hosting a Chili Competition to raise money for a deceased Vietnam Veteran to help with final burial costs and expenses. Unfortunately, I was out of town on the day of the event so I had my brother stop by the event to make a donation for me. My brother called me after the event to tell me how very much they appreciated the donation. My brother also stated that their President and Chairman made sure everyone was greeted and made their way around the event and answered all his questions. He said the best part was when the National Anthem was sung at the beginning of the event. Everyone was very respectful and his favorite chili was number 5!
I can't wait to be at next event in August for the Memorial Car and Bike Show.
PatriotRidesWIC2 07/10/2023
Stacey, Thank you so very much for your support and kindness towards our organization. Please introduce yourself at our event in August if you make it! We can't wait to meet you. We hope you have a wonderful evening!
I am the President for the Patriot riders of America WI Chapter 2 and I started this organization with other board members because of my respect for our Military and Veterans. My son, Dustin J Knapp, served in the United States Army and did 2 tours in Afghanistan. While he was home on leave after his 2nd tour, he was killed while walking home from the vehicle that lost control and struck him. His older brother, unfortunately, watched all this happen. His funeral was the day he was suppose to be back at base in Washington.
I know Dusty would have wanted me to do this and show our Military and Veterans just how much we do appreciate their service to our country for helping to protect our freedoms and to show them how much we care that they continue to serve our communities back home after their tour of duty is over.
There are so many things that we have already accomplished in our first year that I would like to tell you about but the story would be too long. I will however, share this story with you today.
My organization, family, friends and members of the public all donated funds and their time to surprise this Old Man with a ceremony and a very special gift . . . A Gold Star Flag for my son Dustin. Yes, I am a Gold Star Father and never really understood the significance of that until I walked in the Manitowoc Chief's Club on December 17, 2022, and saw how many people loved and respected my son Dustin and his Old Man, me. I was overwhelmed to say the least. Kwik Trip and Festival Foods in Manitowoc sponsored the entire dinner that my organization served after the ceremony. Joe Molnar, an Ambassador from Honor and Remember presented the flag to me, with the assistance of 2 United States Army National Guard Reserve Soldiers, Jeremiah & Annette Eis.
This type of honor I want our organization to carry on with for other family members who lost someone while protecting our country. Funding for ceremonies such as this cost approximately $1,300, of that, $500 is for the cost of the Gold Star Flag. Please help our organization to accomplish this goal for our Veteran families in our communities.
I am the Treasurer for the Patriot Riders of America WI Chapter 2 and I started this organization with other board members because of my love and respect for our Military and Veterans. My dad, Dennis, was a Vietnam Veteran and served in the US Navy on the River Patrol Boats in 1966. Vietnam Veterans hold a special place in my heart, they never received the welcome home they deserved, as well as many of our Korean War Veterans. I want to be there for our Veterans the best way I know how to show them that we do care, that we do appreciate their sacrifice and service to our country.
Our organization not only hosts fundraisers and donates to many Veteran Service Organizations, but we also provide personal services, such as small engine equipment maintenance and repairs. This service is currently free to our Veterans and parts are paid for through our organization, as long as we continue to receive support from our donors for this program. Our President provides his time and labor free of charge.
Our members also volunteer their time to help out Veterans and the Elderly in their communities with snow removal, lawn care and yard cleaning services. For example, our Sgt At Arms (Male), who is a Veteran, spent an entire weekend helping another veteran remodel his bathroom, our Sgt At Arms (Female), who is a Veteran, has a call list of Veterans who have no support, so she communicates with them regularly to make sure they are doing well and have what they need.
I have been attending American Legion meetings throughout the counties we represent so we can learn what our Veterans need and how we can help support them better in our communities. I have also been attending the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #731 meetings to learn how their organization helps our communities, which helps us learn how we can help and support them better. I am trying to get involved with each County Veteran Service Offices throughout our geographic area, but this will take some time.
The President and I travel around our counties at least once a month talking to Veterans and VSO's about our organization so they know we are there to support them if they need us.
I have had the privilege to meet so many wonderful Veterans since we started this organization. My family has grown. I feel in love with each Veteran in their own way after meeting them and learning about who they are, what they have done, and what they still want to accomplish in their lifetime. Each of them inspires me to be a better person.
PatriotRidesWIC2 10/03/2024
We love having Genesis joining us when we visit our Veterans. She is a sweet girl and always has a smile for our Heros. We are very proud of her!