Golden 500 kicks off day one, supports families who lost service members in action

GIBSON CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — The Gold Star 500 started on Tuesday in Springfield, kicking off five straight days of cycling. Dozens of people came out to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, making sure that veterans killed in action and their families are never forgotten.

The group finished their day in Gibson City, turning in for the night. WCIA’s Tyler Hill caught up with people who have deep personal ties to the gold star mission.

“A friend of mine was asked about a picture in his office of a fallen soldier,” said Assistant Director Chuck Kitson.

And in the moment, Kitson said they knew they needed to change that.

“So, we started Gold Star Mission as a nonprofit to raise awareness for our fallen service members and their Gold Star families across the state of Illinois,” Kitson said.

And on Tuesday, bikers of all backgrounds from across the state met to start the five-day trek. One of those was Matt Jones, whose brother-in-law is one of the founders of Gold Star Mission.

“It’s very rewarding,” Jones said. “The stories, they can be hard to listen to, but absolutely necessary and very valuable.”

Jones said he’s been privileged to hear from Gold Star families over the years as they remember their fallen brother, sister or child.

“They all have something in common and they’re all, you know, put other people first, and they were trying to do the right thing,” Jones said. “And, it’s hard to lose someone like that.”

One of those is Vonda Rodgers, who lost her son Sergeant Joshua Rodgers in 2017.

“When you’re a Gold Star family, you experience an unimaginable loss,” Rodgers said. “Tied with great pride. And really, our biggest fear is that our person will be forgotten.”

This is where the organization comes in. They’ve made 14 mini-documentaries talking to family and friends, and Rodgers said they’re in the process of making 10 more.

“Those are to bring the stories of our fallen soldiers to life,” Rodgers said.

They also award $1,000 scholarships to students, which are named after fallen service members. Rodgers has been volunteering with the group for four years now and says these people are like family.

“They are invested in the Gold Star families in Illinois,” Rodgers said. “So, they want to hear our stories. They want to say their names, and they want to walk this journey with us.”

The ride will finish in Litchfield on Gold Star family’s day, the last Saturday of September.