Club members of the Combat Veterans Michigan Association 35-1 present a $10,000 check to the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans during the ninth annual motor rally for veterans put on by American Legion Post 349 on Saturday in Marquette. (Photo courtesy by D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans)

MARQUETTE — The weather held out for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association 35-1 as it rode in from American Legion Post 349 in Little Lake to Marquette, paying a visit to fellow veterans at D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans on Saturday.

CVMA is a veterans’ charity, supporting and protecting veterans. According to CVMA’s website, the group’s focus is to provide assistance and help to individual veterans, veteran care facilities, other veteran organizations and registered charities.

The group also sponsors and participates in many veteran-related motorcycle charity events each year, donating to various veteran causes. This is the ninth annual motorcycle ride through Post 349.

Michael “Cooky Man” Cook, spokesperson coordinator for law enforcement for parades and CVMA member, has been with the group for the last five years and takes his job “very seriously.”

“I feel honored to have that bestowed upon me, that responsibility. I take it very seriously,” Cook said. “We try to maintain safety and coordinate with law enforcement, so we can come in and pull this off and get out (in a) safe and orderly manner.”

Volunteer and donations coordinator for D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans Sarah Johnson said events such as the annual motorcycle ride bring joy to both club members of the CVMA and veterans at the home.

“Our veterans are from our community so they know these people, they’ve ridden with this club and a lot of them used to own motorcycles,” Johnson said. “So this is an event that brings a lot of joy to everyone involved.”

This year, CVMA 35-1 presented a $10,000 check to the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans.

“Donations like this allow us to provide life-enriching opportunities for our veterans,” Johnson said. “Everything from pizza parties to our annual member carnival, visits to the fair and movie outings.”

“Veterans a lot of times are kind of forgotten about, especially when they get up in age like this in a home,” Cook said. “A lot of them have families that probably aren’t even around anymore, and the worst thing in the world is to be forgotten. Anybody.

“If they’re forgotten, they just feel like they’re lonely, and a person shouldn’t be that way.”

More information on CVMA can be found at combatvet.us. CVMA 35-1 can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/UPCVMA.

D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans can be found at facebook.com/MiVeteranHomesDJJ.

“Some made the ultimate sacrifice,” Cook said. “But the ones that didn’t make the ultimate sacrifice, did sacrifice somewhat of their lives and families for their country.”

Dreyma Beronja can be reached at 906-228-2500 ext. 548. Their email address is dberonj@miningjournal.net.