Ride for the Troops

The seventh annual Ride for the Troops was Sunday, bringing out motorcyclists from the Upper Midwest eager to rev their engines and ride 130 miles in support of the country’s military troops.

The ride kicked off from the Marketplace Food and Drug parking lot. I was in my vehicle waiting for them to go by and I wondered if I would know that they were coming. Then I heard the roar.  When that many motorcycles start up at one time it is noisy,

The ride began in 2005, after Ken Donahue and Jason Fredenburg participated in a similar ride. After hearing that the local National Guard troops were being deployed, they decided to organize a ride to benefit them.

The first ride exceeded their expectations, with 147 motorcycles participating. Since the inaugural ride, it has become a yearly tradition with a goal this year of 500 motorcycles.

“I never thought it would turn into this,” Donahue said. “It was going to be a one-time shot. The Guard units were being deployed to Iraq, they were extended so we figured we would do it again, then they came home and here we are.”

  

“People that don’t experience the ride do not get to see all of the people that turn out in the communities and the rural areas along the route,” Beyl said. “It just kind of inspires us.”