Undy 500 collects thousands of undergarments for homeless veterans

11th Annual Undy 500 A Huge Success

On Sunday, September 15 over 140 motorcycle enthusiasts participated in the 11th Annual Undy 500, a self-guided charity ride organized by Palmetto Goodwill and Palmetto Warrior Connection (PWC) to help raise awareness of veteran homelessness.

Funds raised are used to support PWC programs that assist homeless veterans. Additionally, participants were required to donate packaged undergarments that will be distributed during the Stand Down Against Veteran Homelessness event on October 18, done in conjunction with the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. Through the generous donations of Undy 500 riders and the local community, close to 2000 packages of socks, t-shirts and undergarments were collected in support of the cause.

Jermaine Husser, VP of Mission Services for Palmetto Goodwill, stated, “Since its inception, PWC has focused on helping our homeless veterans. And while we’ve made great strides in reducing these numbers, there are still over 40,000 homeless veterans across the country and an estimated 500 here in South Carolina. One homeless vet is one too many and we are here to support them. We appreciate the generosity of our riders and everyone else who contributed to today’s effort.”

Sponsors of the ride included Low Country Harley-Davidson, Bohemian Bull, Riders Law Group, Benchmark Mortgage, EnviroSmart, Chuck FM and 92.5 Kickin’ Country.

Palmetto Warrior Connection (PWC), a veteran-focused outreach program of Palmetto Goodwill, strives to be the first stop for Palmetto State Veterans utilizing a holistic approach to care. The PWC initiative seeks to build self-sustaining Warriors so that they can all contribute to their local community. PWC follows the American Warrior Project model of Connect, Educate, Advocate, and Collaborate in order to bridge the gap between warrior and civilian life.

For more information go to PalmettoWarriorConnection.org or PalmettoGoodwill.org.