(Beaver Dam) The founder of the Patriot Tour says his first effort to raise money for veterans by riding all 48 contiguous states failed but, in that failure, he found the recipe for success. Bill Sherer with the Nation of Patriots says he did not make it east of the Mississippi a decade ago, collecting only $2100, far short of his $1-million-dollar goal. But when he split the money with the families of veterans, and saw that it made an impact, it set off a “fury of intent to recreate the Patriot Tour in a manner that worked.” When he decided to replace his (quote) “ugly mug” with an American flag, and tap others to escort the flag, the Patriot Tour took off, raising over $900-thousand dollars to date. The three-month journey kicks off from its new home-base in Beaver Dam on Saturday, May 18.
