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Lakeshore Primary School students sing for veteran motorcyclists

Star Beacon - 5/25/2018

May 25--CONNEAUT -- Children were still jumping and running when the motorcyclists arrived en-masse at Conneaut Township Park on Thursday afternoon.

A group of about 35 motorcycle riders, with about 40 people on board, could easily be heard winding their way into the park as children from Lakeshore Primary School were completing games and other experiences during the school's "Adventure in Arts and Sciences Day.

The day at the park includes a variety of stations where the children played games, painted rocks, built sand castles and learned about music, said Lakeshore Primary School Principal Wendy Tisch. She said the concluding visit by the motorcycle riders is a great way to reinforce patriotism in the children, who worked on patriotic songs "Proud to be an American" and "You are a Grand Old Flag" prior to the event.

"It is a tear jerking experience. Really brings our community together," she said.

The annual visit came about based on the "Nation of Patriots" event that includes motorcyclists carrying an American flag. That national relay that will pass through Erie in August, but the tour used to come through Conneaut in May.

When the timing

changed, the students were not always in school during the early August time frame, said Kenny Sturm, president of the Erie Harley Owners Group.

So Doug Roxberry, a leader with the

local contingent of the HOGs in Erie, decided to create the local ceremony.

On Thursday, as the children got situated into their viewing area, the motorcyclists waved to the children from their bikes.

Sturm said it is a good way to communicate patriotism to the children and help them support the men and women in the Armed Forces.

A group of World War II veterans were transported to the park from the Villa-on-the-Lake on Thursday afternoon. Paul Wayne, a World War II veteran, said they were having a good time.

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(c)2018 the Star Beacon (Ashtabula, Ohio)

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