Over 300 motorcyclists from Minnesota and neighboring states came together at Marketplace Foods in Bemidji on Sunday to take part in the 14th annual Ride for the Troops.

The event kicked off with a pancake breakfast and the Bemidji High School Junior ROTC color guard. The bikers ended their drive at the Eagles Club. All proceeds raised during the event will go towards veterans and their families. A Ride for the Troops board member says the event started with the deployment of Desert Storm.

“Supporting those families and those troops. That was over 14 years ago and here we are today still supporting the troops no matter what war they were in or where they’re at in their lives. This is all for the ride for the troops, the community comes together. It’s a great organization,” board member Mark Ricci said.

Wayne Johnson, the president for Ride for the Troops, says the route was changed and made shorter due to road construction. One motorcyclist says it’s his second year participating, and he does it because it’s for a great cause.

“Huge amount of comradery. You feel like you’re part of something so much bigger than yourself. You’re around people who are under the same cause as you. It feels like you’re riding with a whole lot of friends,” Brenden Amberg said.

Ride for the Troops raised over $15,000.

By — Malaak Khattab

News Reporter