Friends, family and community members came together in Weatherly to show their support for U.S. Army Private JoAnne "JoJo" Hauber, 20, during a patriotic send-off event yesterday.

Hauber, of Weatherly, left yesterday for training at Fort Riley in Kansas in preparation for eventual deployment with her unit to Afghanistan in January 2014.Traveling from Weatherly to the Philadelphia airport, some motorcycles flew large flags while other individuals in the escort covered their vehicles with words of support for Hauber."This was a way of showing support for a friend and help continue in the fight to shine the light of freedom," said send-off organizers Walt Hunsicker and Cyndee Rusnock, a U.S. Army veteran of the Gulf."We know the importance of supporting our troops," said Hunsicker. "We want them to know that they are not forgotten when they are over there.""I was amazed to see the support from so many," said Hauber, expressing her excitement and appreciation."Passing patriotism on to younger generations is important," said escort participant Marty Torgersen of Weatherly. "Make sure America's youth remembers sacrifices given by so many.""I saw the event on Facebook and wanted to show my support," said Jean Tyson of Hometown. "My son served eight years in the Army, to include Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. I know how important it is to show continued support for our heroes.""I am proud of my daughter and what she is doing," said JoAnne's father, David Hauber, who said they have only lived in the area for three months and only knew a few people prior to yesterday."Today showed me what a great community it is around this area."