CLICK HERE TO DOCUMENT PLAQUE RUNS

CLICK HERE TO DOCUMENT A POST VISIT WITH NO PLAQUES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST STANDINGS

Hey!  Welcome to our blog designed to allow the Michigan ALR Grab and Run group to easily and accurately document our Grab and Run events as well as see an instantly updated point tally for our respective post.

DOCUMENT YOUR RUN!!!

If you are visiting a Grab and Run Participating post  CLICK HERE to enter the details of that leg of the run.

If you are documenting a post visit to a post that is participating in the Grab and Run program but it is known that they have no plaques OR you are visiting a post that does not participate in the Grab and Run program,  CLICK HERE



Instructions for the Grab and Run form.

• If you do multiple stops during one run, treat them as separate runs. Fill out one form per leg.  You will be given an option when you submit the form to enter another form. 
• Don't forget to adjust the amount of riders that participated on that specific leg of the run should you gain or lose a rider. 
• Don't forget to hit "Submit" at the bottom of the form when you are complete. You will have the option to review and adjust the form, even after you submit the form 

VIEW YOUR POST PROGRESS!!!

You can view run details and post progress by CLICKING HERE to view the actual worksheet where your Grab and Go form results download to. 

On this form you can view:

• Your posts rank in the standing
• View how many plaques another post has to plan your runs
• View who has your plaque
• View the date your plaque status was changed
• Results of your previous runs
• Other posts runs
• How the points are calculated
• View the Mileage Chart used to calculate your mileage points.  Please let me know if you have corrections for the miles.  Each one was determined by the shortest route planned by Google maps.  There were a ton to do, so I am sure there may be a few incorrect.  I was cross-eyed after a few hours of staring at this chart.  It is on the Milage Calculations tab on the far right starting around column AD... 

Don't worry! You can't hurt anything in the worksheet.  The only field that you should be able to adjust is the Comments on the tally sheet where you should enter your Post hours and a point of contact.  If you can not edit the Comments, If you have a google account, send me your google account email and I will add your name to the approved editors with permission to edit the Comments field. 

ENJOY and RIDE SAFE!!!

 

Michigan Grab & Run Program   

           

        Mission Statement

• Goal: To build camaraderie among American Legion Posts in Michigan.
• Secondary Focus: To increase awareness, provide support, and improve the lives of Veterans, ensuring their sacrifices are always remembered.

What is Grab & Run?

• Origin: Started in 2010 by Onsted American Legion Riders Post 550.
• Basic Idea: It is a game to promote camaraderie and have fun. American Legion Riders (ALR) groups that have a Post plaque can travel to another participating Post and "grab" that Post's plaque.
• Trophy Program: In 2012, the Grab & Run Trophy Program was introduced. Posts earn points based on the number of members on the run and the miles traveled.
• Winner: The Post with the most points at the end of the year wins the Grab & Run Trophy.
• Banquet: The previous year's winner hosts a banquet for the new winner.

                       

**Grab & Run Rules

Michigan American Legion Riders  

Full Rules and Instructions: Located at http://alr.michigangrabandrun.com.

Post Eligibility: Your Post must be enrolled and have a plaque to participate and take another Post plaque.

Instructions Display: Instructions should be printed and posted at your Post for riders to see, and also included in your Post’s plaque sign-out booklet.

Plaque Boundaries: Plaques cannot be taken out of Michigan.

Season: Runs from January 1st to November 30th. There will be no plaque resets at the end of the year.

Vehicle Requirement: There are no date limitations on when a run must be completed on a bike or in a 'cage' (car/truck). You now receive full points regardless of the vehicle used from January 1st to November 30th (voted on at the 2025 Directors meeting).

Rider and Team Requirements

Required Attire: All riders must have ALR patches on a vest or coat to count. Hoodies with the ALR logo on the back do not count.

Plaque Limits per Visit:

• One (1) plaque for 3 ALR riders.
• Two (2) plaques for 7 or more riders.

Team Splitting (Honor System):

• You cannot split a single group of riders to count as two separate teams and earn more points (e.g., splitting 14 riders into two teams of 7 to grab 4 plaques instead of 2).
• Exception: If there are two totally separate and distinct groups that are not riding together at the same time (e.g., a morning retiree group and an evening after-work group), this is acceptable. 

Supporter Guidelines

• Age 16 and Over: ALR Supporters over the age of 16 who are vested and patched count the same as a regular ALR member.
• Member Ratio: You must have 2 members for every 1 supporter on a ride.
• Under Age 16: Supporters under the age of 16 are counted as a ½ point. The program will round up if necessary.

Plaque Availability and Sign-Out

• Plaque Location: All plaques must be available for removal. Posts shall not hide plaques.
• Planned Events: Grabbing plaques at a planned event (like the banquet) is permissible on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Sign-Out Book Requirements: You must sign out the plaques that you grabbed in the Post’s sign-out book. The entry must include:
• Your Post name an Post number.
• The date and the time.
• A phone number.
• Names of all participating members.
• A list of the plaques you took.

Documentation (Tracker)

• Real-Time Tracking: Plaque locations should be documented as soon as possible via the online tracker (http://alr.michigangrabandrun.com). The tracker works on smartphones and desktop computers.
• Documentation Deadline: If you cannot document at the time of the run, please document by the end of the day of retrieving a plaque.
• Weekend/Extended Delivery: If you are not returning to your Post to deliver the plaque(s) immediately (like over a weekend), please text Chris to let him know when the plaque(s) will be in-house and available to grab.
• Date Entry: PLEASE double-check the date that you entered before you hit “submit.” This is the biggest reason for the tracker not registering correctly.
• Checking Availability:
• If the standings sheet shows that a Post has a plaque available at the start of your run, you no longer have a requirement to call the Post to verify.
• However, because documentation may not be immediate, it is highly recommended that you call ahead to verify hours and plaque availability if you are traveling far.

How Points are determined:

• Points for Plaque Run Legs
• You earn 25 points for every leg of the run (each stope at a Post).
• If a run involves multiple separate visits, you get 25 points for each visit. 
• For Example: Home post to Onsted to Jackson to Rose City then home = 3 legs (Posts) = 75 points. 
• Important: You do not earn points for the final leg that returns you to home. 
• Points for Members
• You earn 5 points for each Patched member who is on the run. 
• If the run has multiple visits (as mentioned above), this member total is multiplied by the number of visits. 
• Example: 8 members = 40 points. If there are 3 visits, you get 40 x 3 = 120 points. 
• Note: If the number of members changes during the run, it must be documented on the leg of the run where the change occurs. 
• Points for Mileage
• You earn 1 point for every 10 miles of the leg
• Mileage is determined using the shortest distance shown on Google Maps, not the actual route you take. 
• You earn mileage on your last visit from the last post back to your home post. (Return Mileage).  Every day you do a grab and run should have at least one and only one Leg where you answer "Yes" to the question, "Are you returning to your post after this leg of your run?" question.   If you do 4 legs, you will answer "No" 3 times, and "Yes" one time. 
• If you do a Non-Plaque Run Post visit as your last visit, you will answer "Yes" on the last Post were you were doing an actual plague run. 

• Mixing Post Visits and Plaque Runs. 
• If you do a post visit in between legs of a plaque run, document the plaque runs as if that were the only runs you are doing. Regardless of when you do a post visit.  Post Visits are totally independant of Plaque Runs.  
• For example: If you start at your home post and do a plaque run to Holt post, and then do a Post Visit to Lapeer, then do a Plaque Run to Farmington, you would show that you went from your home post to Holt, and then Holt to Farmington (Not Lapeer even though thats where you actually went), then return to your home post.    Do not document Lapeer as a plaque run, document it as an independant Post Visit. 

Post Visits (Non-Plaque Runs)

            The purpose of the Post Visit is to allow your post to still participate in the grab and run if there are no Plaques in your vacinity.  You still earn points while promoting the American Legion Riders and the Grab and Run program. 

• Post Requirements: The pots being visited is not required to have an active ALR group. It can be any American Legion Post. 
• Rider Requirement: A minimum of 3 vested Members or Supporters is required. 
• Points Awarded: A flat 40 Points will be awarded to the group, not per person. 
• Visit Limit: You may only count one visit per calendar month by your post to any American Legion Post. 
• Intended Use: Use this option for a visit where you know a plaque is not available. 
• Important: If you run to a Post believing a plaque was available but find that there are none upon arrival, that would be documented as a regular run, not a Post Visit. 

Yearly Banquet Attendance Fee

• Purpose: To help cover the cost of the annual Grab and Run Banquet.
• Requested Fee: 
• $50  for Posts with under 50 members
• $75  for posts with over 50 members
• Payment: Send a check to the Hosting Post. 

Dan Shew, Jackson Post 29; 517-945-4322 – ALR Grab & Run Director shew_d@yahoo.com

            Chris Phillips, Ft. Dearborn Post 364; 313-204-3539 – Site Manager dadtofive@mac.com 

Important Note: Please Report Grab and Run activities at:  http://alr.michigangrabandrun.com

          Rev. 1/1/26