CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Motorcyclists in Elkhart County honor veterans, first responders

Goshen News - 9/12/2021

Sep. 13—GOSHEN — Larry Benn, Goshen, said shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday that the 23rd annual Riding to Remember Fallen Police, Firefighter and Veteran charity ride was "amazing."

"We were the second row over leaving Elkhart, and it was just bikes as far as you could see," Benn said as the riders parked along 5th street, waiting for a memorial service to begin nearby at Goshen Police headquarters.

The motorcycle ride began at 12 p.m. at Hoosier Harley Davidson, in Elkhart, traveling through Wakarusa and Nappanee before stopping in Goshen, and then later continued to Middlebury and Bristol before returning to Elkhart, with a police escort.

With a presentation from the Goshen Police Honor Guard, the memorial got underway at 2 p.m., with opening remarks from Goshen PD and Fire Department Chaplain Gregg Lanzen, recalling the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

"You ride to remember," Lanzen told the hundreds of riders who were assembled.

Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman spoke to the group, reflecting on how he was a 23-year-old construction worker at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks, on a worksite in fact when he first heard the news.

"I can still feel the weight of that day," Stutsman said.

Will Meyer, Middlebury, noted the number of onlookers, including children and people he believed to be military veterans, who watched the ride from the roadside.

"It was a whole mix," Meyer said.

As of 2:35 p.m., shortly before riders left Goshen, Elkhart County Sheriff's Deputy Rick Ball said that an estimated 1,000 motorcyclists had taken part in the ride. He also expressed his appreciation to St. Joseph's County, Mishawaka, South Bend and Millersburg officers who had assisted with the event.

"It's gone very smoothly," Ball said.

As in previous years, this year Riding to Remember event will also benefit an ongoing initiative to build tiny homes at Faith Mission for Elkhart County homeless citizens, with a priority to shelter for veterans, children, and the elderly, according to a news release. The project is currently under construction.

Steve Wilson is news editor for The Goshen News. You can reach him at steve.wilson@goshennews.com.

___

(c)2021 the Goshen News (Goshen, Ind.)

Visit the Goshen News (Goshen, Ind.) at www.goshennews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.