Fred “Spike” Schau and Julie “Mama J” Nickels were wed on Dec. 12, 2009 at Awakenings Church in Concord. Performing the ceremony was Awakenings Church Pastor Gen. Dan Helix.

Spike is a 16-year Navy veteran and currently serving his final six years in the Naval Reserve out of Alameda. Spike is also the California state coordinator for the Warriors’ Watch Riders (hence the road names in quotes above) – a volunteer organization that escorts our American heroes home from their service overseas, as well as our fallen.

Julie is an area vice president for an insurance company in the city of San Francisco. She collects gently used jeans to make ditty bags for the back of wheelchairs for VA hospital patients. Julie is also working as a co-chairperson for a Welcome Home and Thank You event at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in March of this year.