Lance Cpl. David Fribley

An event for the whole family – complete with a motorcycle ride involving kid friendly stops and lots of entertainment – is being held next week in Warsaw in memory of Lance Cpl. David Fribley.

Sponsored by Marine Riders of Michiana, and in conjunction with Young Tiger Football, the June Family Jam will be at Fribley Field, 425 E. Market St., Warsaw, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Proceeds from the event, which includes a motorcycle ride, cornhole and other games and contests, will benefit VFW National Home for Children.

Event organizer Tracy Marshall, says June Family Jam was organized to help provide funding to the VFW National Home for Children, which provides families of active and previous military duty with services including education and housing. “Single parents who are being called to active duty can send their children there where they live, get their education, and really want for nothing,” Marshall explained. “It’s an awesome program for military families.”

In the event military personnel are injured and have no other means to care for their families, the family is invited to live on the campus. “Everything they need is there, even a chapel,” he added. “If you’ve never been there, go! Take the tour and see what it offers.”

To attend June Family Jam, the cost is $5 for a family of four and $1 for each additional member. There will be a bounce house and dunk tank, camouflage face painting, cornhole contests, games, a mock obstacle course by the United States Marines, music and food. A Presentation of the Colors ceremony will happen at noon in memory of Warsaw native Lance Cpl. David Fribley, who died in the line of duty on March 23, 2003, while serving with the U.S. Marines near Nasiriyah, Iraq, was the first Hoosier to lose his life in what was Operation Iraqi Freedom.

At 3 p.m. on June 29, a motorcycle ride will leave Fribley Field heading south of SR 15 to Silver Lake where the procession will go east on SR 14 to North Manchester’s park. Children will be allowed to play and there will be bottled water served. The motorcycles will then return to Warsaw by route of SR 13 to U.S. 30.

Motorcyclists taking part in the ride will be charged $20 with a $5 per passenger fee. The first 50 motorcyclists to register will receive a T-shirt. Registration will begin at 1 p.m. the day of the event.

Market Street, from Wood Street to Tamarack Street in front of Fibley Field will be closed during the event. The Young Tigers Football field was dedicated to Fribley, a former Warsaw Community High School graduate and football player, in October 2004.

For additional information, call Marshall at 574-527-8933.