AUGUSTA, Ga. - Dozens of Fort Gordon soldiers wounded in Iraq got some much needed help Saturday; tens of thousands of dollars from total strangers.

When Valdenise Pedro's husband, Ruben was shot in his right hand during the War in Iraq the military sent him to Fort Gordon.

“I was scared,” Pedro said.

She wanted to be with him

“I want to be by his side and see him everyday,” Pedro said.

However, the family could not afford the travel expenses.

Then they found the Fisher House which provides free room and board to the families of wounded men and women in the military.

“Probably the most important thing folks around here in Augusta can support is the Fisher House,” Victor Rivera said.

Rivera and many other bikers with the American Legion Riders thought it was so important to support the house that they donated $30,000 Saturday at the Roaring Thunder 2008 event. It is a tribute to wounded soldiers and veterans.

“Any place that you go and there's a biker there he's always willing to give you a hand,” Rivera said.

Hundreds of bikers came out to the event to honor those wounded in combat.

“It is all about giving back to the soldiers and the veterans and we thought this was a great way to honor them,” Rivera said.

It was also the perfect way to keep making the Fischer House a home.

“It's a home away from home,” Pedro said.

The Fisher House at Fort Gordon only has seven rooms for families in need. Plans for a larger house at the Wrightsboro Road campus of the Augusta VA Medical Center are in the works.