Homeless Heroes holds sixth annual bike run to raise funds for veterans' homes
Homeless Heroes held its Sixth Annual Bike Run Saturday in East Amarillo to raise money for its planned tiny home community for homeless veterans.
The Bike Run had riders going to five locations across the Texas Panhandle, collecting a playing card at each spot. A poker hand was formed with the collection of cards, with the best hand winning the contest. The locations for the event were Shark Beach and Smokey Joes in Amarillo, BOOM Town Cycles and Antelope Creek Leather in Borger and Sad Monkey Mercantile near Palo Duro Canyon. A cornhole tournament was also held.
Following the ride, all participants gathered in Amarillo for food, fun and good barbecue with a concert by the Teague Brothers Band.
Tiffaney Belflower, president and founder of Homeless Heroes, spoke about the event and her group’s continued mission to home veterans.
“All of our riders had a blast making their hands; it is crazy that this is the sixth year that we have done it while getting bigger and bigger each year,” Belflower said. “This is the best turnout we have had so far. I am so grateful for all of the people that worked to make this a magnificent event and all the people that participated.”
Undeterred by the group's recent setback that forced the group to decline land given by Potter County for a proposed site, Belflower says that all of the attention has resulted in many groups reaching out to try to help the organization get the land that it needs for the homes. Previously the Potter County Commissioners' Court had approved land near Willow Creek for the project, but after outcry from some in the surrounding area, Precinct Commissioner John Coffee decided that he no longer supported the project in that area and urged the group to decline the land.
“We are working diligently to get these homes made. Earlier this year, we were working on trying to get land and for one reason or another, that did not come to fruition, but the awareness is now out there,” Belflower said.
Belflower said that while many people have reached out with ideas, they are still working to get land in a viable location. She said that each home would cost about $45,000 to build. Belflower applauded Judge Nancy Tanner and the commissioners' court for still trying to find viable solutions, and she also hopes to meet soon with the new city councilmembers to get their input. The group has raised about $215,000 so far for the project.
“We are looking at all possibilities to get members of the community involved in making this happen for our veterans,” Belflower said. “Judge Tanner checks on us all the time to see what she can do to make this happen.”
She said that some property was offered that was in proximity to Transformation Park but said that the land would not have aligned with the mission of the veterans housing, and that putting it so close to that project would not be the best environment for this community.
"If it weren’t for this incredible community, Homeless Heroes would not even be close to where we need to be for these houses,” Belflower added. “ I am grateful for the support; this takes us one step closer.”
For more information or to donate, go to https://www.homelessheroesofamarillo.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/homelessheroesofamarillo/ .
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Homeless Heroes holds sixth annual bike run across Texas Panhandle
