Harley-Davidson® Honors Active and Retired Military at Home and Abroad for Military Appreciation Month

MILWAUKEE, Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Harley-Davidson Motor Company will celebrate Military Appreciation Month once again this November with a number of efforts to show its support and gratitude for the men and women in the military. One way the company will do that is by teaming up with the United Service Organizations (USO).  

Harley-Davidson will welcome donations at its nearly 650 dealerships throughout the country on behalf of the USO Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. The donations will be used to assemble care packages for troops overseas. The company is also challenging its U.S. Harley Owners Group chapters to raise $500 each for the Operation USO Care Package program.  

"We're honored to support such a well-respected organization as part of our military appreciation efforts this year," said Mike McCann, Director of Core Customer and Military Marketing for Harley-Davidson. "We want to show our support for those living away from home and protecting our country."

In addition to supporting the USO through care package donations, Harley-Davidson is celebrating Military Appreciation Month by hosting a military-only concert by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in San Diego on Thursday, Dec. 1, where nearly all of the tickets will be given to select soldiers at nearby bases. For one lucky military winner and a guest, Harley-Davidson will provide a full VIP experience for the concert, including travel to San Diego, dinner and a motorcycle ride from Los Angeles to San Diego with the band. Entries for the contest will be accepted online through Nov. 15.

At the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, all current and previous military members and their immediate families (one additional adult and up to four children under age 18) will receive free admission on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5-6.

Finally, Harley-Davidson's support of the USO will extend through the end of next year. Every care package distributed by the USO in 2012 will include a pair of tickets to the Harley-Davidson Museum – approximately 250,000 tickets in total.

"We're incredibly grateful for Harley-Davidson's support of our efforts to lift the spirits of our brave men and women serving overseas by providing them with care packages that, among other things, offer a touch of home and a way to connect with their families," said USO Sr. VP and Chief Development Officer Kelli Seely. "Like the USO, Harley- Davidson has a long history of supporting U.S. troops, so we are proud of this new partnership and know together we will have a great impact on our troops in the coming year."

Harley-Davidson's history with the U.S. military dates to World War I and World War II.  

Today Harley-Davidson supports U.S. military personnel through programs like Harley's Heroes®. In 2007, The Harley-Davidson Foundation made its first $1 million grant to Disabled American Veterans to support its Mobile Service Offices that travel throughout the U.S. to provide counseling and assistance to help veterans and their families secure the benefits they earned through their service. The program has become known as Harley's Heroes. Last year, the Foundation made a second $1 million grant to continue its support of the program.

Harley-Davidson also recently sponsored three tours of Bikes Over Baghdad, which brought a team of the biggest names in action sports to bases in Iraq, Kuwait and other parts of the Middle East to perform BMX shows for thousands of troops. For two of the three tours, Harley-Davidson sent one of its own employees along to show the company's personal gratitude.

For more about Harley-Davidson's Military Appreciation Month activities and the company's longstanding commitment to the U.S. military, visit www.harley-davidson.com/military.

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's website at www.harley-davidson.com.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America's troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors. To join us in this patriotic mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit http://www.uso.org.

SOURCE Harley-Davidson Motor Company