Senior Writer
Some 300 members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association rolled into the Lake Arrowhead Resort parking lot bright and early on Saturday, Aug. 16 following a three-day cross-country journey through five states (Virginia, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California).
As busy as the Resort is during the summer season, its management team graciously set aside ample parking space for all of the riders, most of whom were riding Harley-Davidson, Victory and Polaris motorcycles, although at least one Indian motorcycle was spotted in the motorcycle lineup on Saturday. Most of these bikes, said one rider, are sporting 500 cc or larger engines and a lot of them are ridden to job sites every workday.
Combat veterans get acquainted with one another at the Lake Arrowhead Resort.
Asked whether his group had visited Lake Arrowhead before, California Chapter 33.1 Commander Paul “Deuce” Dussauli said, “This is our first event in Lake Arrowhead, but we have done Whiskey Dave’s in Big Bear.” When asked what inspired him to become a member of a combat veterans’ organization, Dussauli, who rode his Harley-Davidson to the event from San Diego, said, “We do it not only to raise money for injured veterans and other individuals that need help, but for the camaraderie as well. By the way, we’re not all veterans, some of us are active-duty Marines,” said Dussauli, who rides his Harley to work every day.
Chapter Secretary Adam “Casper” Parnell added, “We started here yesterday on a self-paced, scenic ride around Lake Arrowhead to support local businesses.” According to Dussauli, their group raised several thousand dollars to help others in need during its two-day visit to the mountain, which began on Friday when they dined at the Lake Arrowhead Village Pizza and continued on Saturday afternoon, while they attended a regional fundraising meeting, again at Lake Arrowhead Village Pizza, where the owner reportedly donated more money to the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.
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