OTTUMWA —
Behind the custom-made motorcycle, bands and celebrity guest, Roger Borror said the Wounded Warrior Project is all about honoring and helping the nation’s veterans.
His project started out as a tribute to his grandfather, who served in World War II. Borror’s father wasn’t able to serve due to burns he sustained as a child, and Borror himself couldn’t serve due to problems with asthma.
“But I’ve been into motorcycles all my life, and in 2008 I had a vision of getting the community together to raise money for soldiers and to get this bike built,” Borror said of the Wounded Warrior Chopper. “We got enough money and had an event in July. But then the economy crashed and we didn’t have enough money, which is why the bike wasn’t done until last year.”
He revealed the bike on Veterans Day last year (Nov. 11, 2011, or 11-11-11) and has since taken it to shows and featured in magazines. The bike will be raffled off tonight, Dec. 12, 2012 (12-12-12).
While he was initially going to give the money raised to one local military post, eventually he changed the name in order to benefit the entire military.
“Why help out one branch? Let’s help out everybody,” he said. “That’s when we joined the Wounded Warrior Project.”
The Wounded Warrior Project is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping injured service men and women of the armed forces.
From 5 p.m. to midnight this evening at Bridge View Center, attendees can listen to the bands One Brick Shy, Pan Lanips and Fast Henry.
Tommy Flanagan, who plays “Chibs” on the hit TV show “Sons of Anarchy,” will also be on hand to sign autographs and draw the winning raffle ticket. Borror met Charlie Hunnam, who plays “Jax” on the show, at the Iowa Speedway. They eventually worked out a deal for Hunnam to come here for the event, though just last week Borror got a call that Hunnam wouldn’t be able to make it due to filming obligations.
“It’s not all about the motorcycle we’re giving away [Wednesday] night, the bands playing, the celebrity actor coming,” he said. “It’s about the men and women serving our country for the freedoms we have today.”
Raffle tickets are one for $10, three for $25 or 12 for $100. They can be purchased up until 8 p.m. tonight. The drawing for the bike will happen between 9-9:30 p.m.
“Come support your fallen soldiers and veterans,” Borror said. “Come support the military. The other stuff’s just a bonus.”
5 p.m. to midnight tonight
Bridge View Center
Admission: $20 per person in advance; $25 per person day of the event
Featured bands: One Brick Shy, Pat Lanips, Fast Henry
“Sons of Anarchy” actor Tommy Flanagan to sign autographs, draw winning raffle ticket
Local News
Related Photos
-
Roger Borror, Specialist Coral Kopp and Staff Sgt. Derek Miller showed off the Wounded Warrior Chopper to be raffled off at the Wounded Warrior event tonight at Bridge View Center. Borror has been working on the custom-made motorcycle for four years. Chelsea Davis/The Courier
Wounded Warrior event to benefit veterans
Custom-made motorcycle to be raffled off; night includes bands and celebrity guest
- Local News
-
-
Reviving downtown's upper stories
Building by building, the upper stories of downtown Ottumwa are coming back to life after some have sat empty for half a century.
- Expanding Ottumwa's trail system OTTUMWA — The Market Street Bridge is a major link in connecting Ottumwa's north side to its south side. The seventh annual Wapello County Trails Council mediathon kicked off Saturday morning with volunteers on the phones taking pledges from the comm
-
Storms forecast to return later Monday
OTTUMWA -- The first severe weather outbreak of the year didn't do as much damage to southeast Iowa as in other areas, but it's likely on to round two today.
-
Searching for the perfect book
A steady stream of people snatched up books, magazines, DVDs and more at the annual Pages for Pennies book sale at Bridge View Center this weekend.
-
Staff eager for swimmers Beach Ottumwa improvements
OTTUMWA — When kids talk about the last weeks of school, one subject that often comes up is The Beach Ottumwa. It'll be ready soon, said employees. On Friday, the maintenance staff was installing the fountain heads that shoot water straight up at the
- Mixed reactions to tax reduction OTTUMWA — During past public forums in Ottumwa, Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, told voters the state should follow its own laws and make taxes equal across the board. This week, legislators in Des Moines took a first step toward that goal, which is a
-
New sports store coming to mall
OTTUMWA — A new tenant is coming to Quincy Place Mall. Lexington Realty International announced Friday afternoon the mall's newest tenant, MC Sports. Construction has already begun, and the store is anticipated to open just in time for back-to-school
-
Ottumwa teen earns criminal justice scholarship
OTTUMWA — A high school senior who shares the work ethic and spunk of the late Lisa Caldwell has been awarded a scholarship in her honor. Ottumwan Hunter Varner, a senior at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School, earned the first Wapello County Sh
- Budget shift on county agenda OTTUMWA — There's nothing like having some money in the budget to cover a project that doesn't have enough money on its line item. The Wapello County Supervisors will need to move some money to an item that has spent all of its funding, according to
- Wellness challenge asks people to live healthy OTTUMWA — Are you ready for the Live Healthy Iowa 10-Week Wellness Challenge? Some of the city employees joined Live Healthy Iowa, and Jody Gates, the city's health director, was captain of one of the two teams of about a dozen people. "Our goals for
- More Local News Headlines
-
