A veteran of the Iraq war, 1st District Democratic Candidate for Congress shares experiences with other veterans who served in Vietnam and during peacetime.

UNION GROVE, WI - Ryan Solen visited the AmVets Riders of Wisconsin on Saturday in Union Grove at their 8th annual fundraiser. A veteran of the Iraq war himself, supporting other veterans is an issue that is important to him. Solen shared experiences with a number of veterans who served in Vietnam and during peacetime.

The event was held at the Ironwood Chophouse in a large banquet hall with items to be raffled lined up along the walls of the entire room. Items were donated and included baskets of Packers gear, different kinds of wine, beauty products, and enormous amounts of beautifully presented candy. Solen entered to win several different packages, including two separate baskets of candy for his kids, enough to ensure that they and he would never sleep again. He was, however, thrilled to win the Sprecher root beer package as he has long been a fan of the Wisconsin beverage. There were additional raffles of pies, meat, a 50/50, and several silent auctions.

“Our veterans have given so much of themselves to keep this country safe. Every effort we put towards taking care of them is a noble one. I’m pleased to see the AMVETs have such a great turnout for their fundraiser and I thank them and the visitors for taking the time to work towards making the lives of veterans better,” Solen said.

Proceeds from the event supported other veteran groups including Homeless Veterans of Union Grove, Zablocki VA Medical Center’s spinal cord unit, Fisher House, Dry Hootch, Muskego Food Pantry, and Union Grove Recreation Department. Ryan Solen was happy to be part of this event and looks forward to joining the AmVets Riders at their next meeting in September.

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Ryan Solen is an Army veteran of the war in Iraq and is seeking to represent Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. He is a Digital Forensic Specialist and Computer Security Analyst. He is a married father of four and enjoys reading, writing, doing karate with his family, and relieves stress with his vintage Lego collection.

He is the Wisconsin Democratic Party’s Nominee to run for the U.S. House of Representatives to replace Paul Ryan. For more information, please visit www.solenforcongress.com.