Gold Star event allows private time at Freedom Wall

MARSEILLES - There is more to the Illinois Motorcycle Freedom Run than Gold Star Mothers, believes their spokesman, Tom “Big Daddy” Yarber. “We're changing what the state and nation calls Gold Star Mothers,” noted Yarber, Marseilles coordinator for the IMFR, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring U.S. military personnel killed in combat in the Middle East. “The Freedom Run cherishes the mothers, but there is more to the family. There are fathers, husbands, wives, and children. So, we are calling our event Gold Star Family Day, because you've got to cherish the whole family. It's something the whole family needs.” The ceremony and outdoor barbecue Saturday was the third for the IMFR, which sponsors the Middle East Combat Veterans Me