Community Corner

Run for the Wall Bikers Moved by Local Woman's Act of Kindness

When one of the nearly 500 motorcyclists in town for the Run for the Wall got caught in Monday night's storm, a local woman opened her heart and her home.

On Monday, the City of Wentzville once again played host to the Run for the Wall—a trek made by a group of nearly 500 motorcyclists from around the country who travel from Southern California to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington., D.C.

This is the 25th year for the event, and Wentzville has been a stop for all 25 years—the only city with that honor. And there's a reason they keep coming back.

The bikers love Wentzville.

The group rode into Wentzville on Monday night and stayed at the Wentzville VFW Hall.

But one biker and his wife were caught out in last night's storms and torrential rain. Colorado bikers John Filonovich and his wife Ruth found themselves out in the deluge while trying to find their hotel.

Filonovich said that the rain was so bad, he couldn't see the roadway at all. He tried lifting the visor of his helmet to see better, and almost ran off the road.

Then a car pulled up beside him and a window rolled down. "Follow me," the driver said.

Vicky Clark, a single mother of two, led the bikers to her home, dried their clothes and fed them dinner. She let them park their motorcycle in her garage and drove them to their hotel. Then she returned in the morning to pick them back up so they could rejoin the ride.

Filonovich choked up as he finished his story.

The Run for the Wall bikers love Wentzville, and Wentzville, home of the first Vietnam memorial in the country, has embraced them and their cause.

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