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Legion Riders visit Oak Hills Living Center

NEW ULM – Live to ride, ride to raise money for the children of fallen veterans, could be the motto of the Minnesota American Legion Riders (ALR).

The riders rolled through New Ulm, stopping at Oak Hills Friday as part of their 2016 Legacy Run. The run raises money for the Legacy Scholarship fund which pays for children of fallen veterans to receive higher education.

“We are going to put every child that lost a parent on active duty since 9/11, we are going to make sure they have the opportunity for higher education,” said American Legion Riders Legacy Chairman Steve Sullivan.

This year, the scholarship is expanding beyond the children of fallen service members.

“Because of the awesome job they have done in the last seven years raising money, they have got so much money this past year they have now opened it up to children of any veteran who is 50 percent or more (disabled),” said State Commander Denise Milton.

She is referring to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (VA) process of evaluating service related disabilities.

“A lot of our military, because of their service, they acquire injuries or disease while on active duty and they go through a process through the VA to get a rating for their disability,” said Milton.

Every year the Minnesota branch of the ALR takes to the road twice, for a weekend at a time, to raise money across the state. Last year the Minnesota branch broke the record for the largest amount ever donated by one state in the scholarship’s history.

“Last year we raised over $103,000 on the two runs and everyone here on the run is all volunteer. The money that we raise, 100 percent of it, goes to the scholarship,” said Milton.

This run is the Not So North Run through the southern half of the state, starting in Austin and ending in Buffalo. The second weekend is the North run which starts at East Grand Forks and goes to Fridley.

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