Love Our Warriors: A Fund-44 Bike-Run Event for 44 PNP-SAF

It’s one thing to feel sad about the 44 PNP-SAF at the Mamasapano massacre and it’s something else if you do something about it.  Here’s a note from triathlon coach Andy Leuterio about “Love our Warriors,” a fundraiser he’s organizing.  Please contact Coach Andy directly at alpha_tri@yahoo.com for any inquiries. Hope you can make it.  

Dear Friends,

As you know, a terrible event happened in Mindanao. Details are still sketchy, but the gist of what happened is that 44 of the PNP-SAF were ambushed, encircled, and executed in a raid to capture a known terrorist. 

As I was riding my bike today, I could not help but cry for the families that these 44 men left behind. I read accounts of the wives who had received taunts from their husbands’ killers through their cellphones and I wondered what kind of evil could do that to a widow. 

 While I am not a soldier, I have always been appreciative of the sacrifices that our country’s warriors take on for us. 

They do the dirty, bloody, thankless work that we prefer not to think about so we can live our lives peacefully, so that we can enrich ourselves, so that we can pursue yet another “Personal Best”.

While we were out swimming, riding, or running, real men were dying. 

We cannot bring them back, but we can honor their sacrifice.

I never knew any one of those 44, but I am deeply thankful for what they, and their colleagues, do to protect us, and to ensure that we can continue to enjoy peaceful lives.

As my way of giving back to them, and also as some small measure of comfort to their families, I would like to invite you to join me in a “Fund 44” bike-run event next February 14 at Nuvali.

“Love Our Warriors”.

This will be a bike-run event to honor the fallen, but each participant must pledge a certain amount to benefit the families, and bike-run at least a  40-4 brick, in either miles or kilometers. 

The whole idea is not only to generate funds, but also to voluntarily experience even a little bit of physical hardship to further appreciate the sacrifices that other men continue to do for us. 

This will be a simple, no frills training exercise, with just several aid stations along the route. Participants may also donate goods that we can auction off. 

I also plan to invite representatives of the PNP-SAF to join us for a solidarity training session. 

As of now, I am an ARMY OF ONE in this initiative, but I need your support to pull this off. There are many other details that need to be worked on, but all I want to do is help out and give solid assistance and appreciation for our brothers in arms. 

If you believe this is an effort worth undertaking, let me know ASAP as time is of the essence. 

Thank you.

Coach Andy Leuterio