Vista Motorcycle, in association with American Legion Post 365 in Vista, CA, held their 3nd Annual "Freedom to Ride" 2014 Motorcycle Event on July 4, 2014. This event drew more than double in attendance and outreach to the vets from the year before.

The reason for this Annual Freedom to Ride Event is to honor of all the US Veterans who served their country but are currently unable to enjoy the national holiday in public. Therefore, motorcycle riders from Vista Motorcycle repair shop, the local Vista American Legion Post 365 and other local riding clubs came together to dedicate their morning to ride to San Diego Military Hospitals and Veterans Homes.

Vista Motorcycle, which has been a mainstay in the local community since 1979. Family centric and community oriented, the shop has created new community outreach events to those who also take care of our local area. The Freedom to Ride event is one of those. The American Legion Post 365 is a neighbor to Vista Motorcycle. The mutual core values of these entities align in a way that has created much needed and heart serving events.

This joint effort event attracted over 80 participants. There were 42 bikes total. Riders of all styles of street bikes were invited. Military and civilians were able to participate in the ride. This year’s draw brought a huge mix of riders of all ages and diverse riding clubs.

Those who dedicated their morning to supporting this event were all ages and rode bikes of a variety of styles such as Harleys, sport bikes, daily commuters and other street cruisers. Some of the participants followed in their cars, trucks or vans carrying down supplies and goodie bags to be handed out to the Vets.

The motorcycles packed the parking lot and had to be split in multiple riding groups as they headed to the VA Hospital in La Jolla and to the Chula Vista Veterans Home for honoring our local heroes. "Too often, these men and women, who did amazing things to serve and protect our country, are long forgotten about. To see their eyes light up and their spirits lift because we took the time to be with them- was worth every moment," stated Daniel Sweet, owner of Vista Motorcycle concerning his experience while visiting the VA Hospital.

Recent Commander of the American Legion Post 365, Chris Yates, shared, "Some of this years riders who participated for the first time, were so moved by their time with the Veterans and injured military, that they personally want to return to the hospitals and homes to serve those who served us. This is awesome! We look forward to seeing this annual event grow over the coming years."

Each year the event coordinators are raising the bar. The vision of this annual event is to be able to have hundreds of riders visit as many military hospitals and veterans homes on the morning of July 4th. A few small hours of acknowledgement and sacrifice of time pales in comparison to the years and hours served with dedication these military have given to our country.

For further information on this event call 760-724-9258 or visit http://vistamotorcycle.com/events/freedom-to-ride-2014. To participate in upcoming ones organized by Vista Motorcycle visit: http://vistamotorcycle.com/events