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Motorcycle Charity
Victory Motorcycles, working with California-based Operation Gratitude, earlier this week donated a 2011 Victory Vegas 8-Ball motorcycle to be included as one of the items in Operation Gratitude’s 600,000th care package.
The keys to the motorcycle, which will be discovered among the other donated items in the package, were placed in the 600,000th package in a ceremony at the California Army National Guard Armory in Van Nuys, Calif.
The donation of a brand-new motorcycle is a first for Victory’s partnership with Operation Gratitude. Both organizations are excited about the opportunity to offer the motorcycle as a thank you to one of our troops deployed overseas this holiday season.
Steve Menneto (Victory Motorcycles General Manager) says: "We have the greatest respect for both those currently serving in the military and our veterans. We encourage everyone to join Victory in supporting Operation Gratitude and help make the holidays more special for military personnel who are away from home."
Carolyn Blashek (Founder of Operation Gratitude) says: "Operation Gratitude Care Packages are an expression of respect and appreciation for those who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom."
"We are honored to send this package with the Victory Motorcycle keys to a young Service Member, currently deployed in harm’s way, who represents all our courageous heroes – past, present and future – from all branches of the Military."
The motorcycle, a 2011 Victory Vegas 8-Ball, will feature a special military badge on the gas tank, giving a unique twist to the sleek-looking, all-black bike. Including the badge on the donated bike is Victory’s way of publicly honoring its recipient and thanking this individual for his or her service.
Since Oct. 1, Victory has invited the public to support military personnel by dropping off items for Operation Gratitude at Victory dealerships. These items, along with the keys to the Victory motorcycle, have been packaged with other donated items and will be distributed to military personnel deployed around the world during the holidays.
Operation Gratitude is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based corporation, funded entirely by private donations. Items collected can include letters of appreciation, hygiene products, entertainment items such as CDs and DVDs, and toys such as Beanie Babies, which troops commonly use as goodwill gifts for children in the foreign countries where they’re deployed.
Details about Operation Gratitude and the most popular care package items are available at victoryHeroes.com and OperationGratitude.com.
Victory’s partnership with Operation Gratitude is just one part of the manufacturer’s ongoing support for military personnel and veterans. Military personnel who ride Victory Motorcycles are featured regularly in Victory Rider magazine and on the Victory website (victorymotorcycles.com), and all military personnel and veterans are invited to pick up their free Victory Military Rider Pins from any Victory dealer.
