MANASQUAN, NJ  – Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry joined Manasquan officials and hundreds of well-wishers on the beach in Manasquan last Saturday, as part of a Jersey Shore send-off to C. Ivan Stoltzfus who is driving across America to raise awareness and money for the Wounded Warriors.

 

“Ivan’s noble journey will not be quick because he is driving a 1948 John Deere Model A tractor and towing a 24 foot camper,” said Burry. “I am so glad that Ivan selected Monmouth County’s Manasquan as his starting off point.”

The journey began with the tractor on the Ocean Avenue beach in Manasquan with one wheel dipped in the surf. Stoltzfus then drove the tractor off of the beach, hooked it up to his camper and spoke to the crowd about his commitment to helping the men and women who have given so much for America.

Stoltzfus is a retired farmer and auctioneer who planned the journey as a lifelong desire to drive across country. He combined the trip with a project to raise money and awareness for veterans through “Across America For Wounded Heroes,” an initiative of the Wounded Warrior Project, a veterans’ service organization that focuses on those injured in the line of duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001.

As part of the send-off ceremony, Burry provided Stoltzfus with a pin featuring the Monmouth County seal and wished him well on the cross country trek.  She also invited him to return to Monmouth County again.

“We want you to remember where your journey started once you reach Del Norte County in California,” said Burry. “We also want you to know we support you and will monitor your progress as you drive across the country.”

His journey can be tracked at www.helpamericanheroes.com or you can follow his journey on Facebook at Across America for Wounded Heroes. 

His goal is to raise $1 million for the Wounded Warriors Project. Interested parties can track Stoltzfus’s journey at www.helpamericanheroes.com. 

Stoltzfus’ first stop was Kennett Square, PA on Sunday. The tractor was restored and then retrofitted with a 1984 Peterbilt model 359 cab.

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