Fraternity's 12-mile ride in Richmond honors veterans from Vietnam to Iraq

RICHMOND, Va. — About 75 veterans rode together through Richmond on Saturday for a motorcycle event hosted by a fraternity to honor their service and give back to the community.

Members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity have held the ride for the past six years. Rashawn Mitchell, a fraternity member and fellow veteran, said the event is about more than an afternoon ride.

"We want to give back to veterans and let them know that their service is respected and honored from a fraternity standpoint," Mitchell said.

Mitchell said riders came from many generations of service.

"We had veterans from all different wars, even back from Vietnam all the way to present-day Afghanistan and Iraq wars," Mitchell said.

One of the roughly 75 veterans who took part was Jalonda White, an Iraq War veteran and Buffalo Soldier rider.

"I'm also known as the pink hitchhiker because I ride with anybody that's moving on the road," White said.

White said she continues to serve even after her deployment.

"Right now, I work at Fort Lee, so I'm still serving soldiers and still working for the military with the United States Army," White said. "I was in supply, so whatever you need, we'll hook you up, we'll find it for you, we'll get it for you."

White said she doesn't look for thanks, but the day reminded her that her sacrifices mattered.

"This afternoon was awesome. I love the police escort because I feel like we own the road," White said. "When you see bikers out there, we're paying to go on these rides so that we can give back to the community, and I love it."

The riders made a 12-mile trek from the Virginia War Memorial to the Steel Horse Harley-Davidson location off Hull Street Road. There, veterans gathered over music and vendors and shared their connection through service.

White said the rides are also about the people and the conversations.

"The conversations you can have, the things that you can learn from other people, from beginner riders to veteran riders," White said. "You get to just come out and enjoy the ride, and sometimes we have no destination. We just get on and ride tank to tank and enjoy the ride."

Mitchell said the fraternity picks a different veterans organization to support each year. He said past partners have included Disabled American Veterans, the Purple Heart Association and the Wounded Warrior Project. This year, the group is supporting the Northern Virginia Veterans Association.

"That type of service is what we're all about, and it goes hand in hand with our motto, culture for service and service for humanity," Mitchell said.