SALEM, Va. – Stephanie Sapp, who served three years in the U.S. Navy, is one of 17 veterans who rode home on a brand new bike Wednesday.
"We do feel forgotten but today we saw that we were not forgotten and saw that people came out and pulled together," said Sapp.
The Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center serves over 38,000 veterans in our area.
For the first time, the medical center and Goodwill Industries collected bikes from the community to help veterans with their day-to-day needs.
"We identified 17 veterans that had barriers to transportation or lacked resources for transportation to get to work or look for a job. And being able to provide these veterans with a bicycle is a step in the right direction for them," said Brett Robins, public affairs officer for Salem VA Medical Center.
The VA2K and Bikes for Veterans event also encouraged veterans to live active lifestyles and provided safety training for bike riding in the Star City.
To match their bikes, the Salem VA Credit Union donated $500 worth of helmets and bike locks, just in time for a ride around the building.
Sapp says she already knows where she is pedaling off to first.
"Well the first stop (is) that I am going to see my family and show them my new bike,” said Sapp.