A line of motorcycles stretched along Highway 212 in Granite Falls on Saturday morning, as participants headed out on the first leg of the Ride 2 Remember. The motorcycle run honors fallen U.S. military members, and raises funds for veterans’ programs.

GRANITE FALLS — A line of motorcycles stretched down Highway 212, as the Ride 2 Remember rumbled through Granite Falls on Saturday morning. Participants weren’t just hoping to enjoy the ride – they were honoring veterans and fallen U.S. soldiers.

“It’s a really good ride, and it means a lot to a lot of people,” said Chris Marschel. Marschel, a member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, said he takes part in the Ride 2 Remember every year in memory of people he served with, and to support Gold Star families.

“Every mile we ride today is for someone who stood and watched while we slept, someone who raised their right hand and swore to protect this country,” said Ryan Bromeland, executive director of Ride 2 Remember, as he welcomed riders. “Today, let’s be a loud rolling reminder that they are not forgotten – not now, not ever.”

Ride 2 Remember honors fallen military service members, and also raises funds for programs that help veterans. Over the past eight years, the ride has donated a total of $62,000 to veterans, said Vanessa Bromeland, one of the Ride 2 Remember organizers. An additional $5,000 donation was awarded during Saturday’s event.

“This year, we are donating to Warriors and Walleyes,” Bromeland said. Based out of Wood Lake, Warriors and Walleyes Outdoors organizes fishing and hunting trips for veterans and military service members.

“This year, on Lake of the Woods, we’re close to 500 veterans that we’ve taken through there,” said Lance Peterson, president of Warriors and Walleyes.

Peterson said the organization was formed in honor of a classmate, Stephen Bentzlin, who was killed in action in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

“This year was kind of special. We invited 20 of the Marines that were with my buddy the night he died,” Peterson said. “They hadn’t seen each other in 35 years, since the battlefield. It was a hell of a reunion.”

“So, those are the kind of things that we like to do to honor our veterans,” he said. “Thanks to this organization for even bringing us up. Because when we started, it was just a dream, and now it’s a reality.”

For participants the Ride 2 Remember is also a way to honor friends and family who served. Marschel, and Rick and Tracy Clark, all said they had been part of the KMS Memorial Ride, before the Ride 2 Remember was established. The Clarks’ son, Spc. Ryane Clark, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010.

“We’ve been honoring Ryane and other soldiers since that day,” Rick Clark said. “(The KMS Memorial Ride) came to us, and wanted to honor Ryane along with other soldiers in the area.”

Tracy Clark said it was good to get the chance to remember their son and tell his story.

In addition to honoring service members, the Ride 2 Remember is just fun, organizers and riders said. Bromeland said it’s good to see the reactions of people in the communities along the way.

“We always seem to have people along the route who are there with their flags out,” she said. “We don’t know where they come from,” she said, but it was appreciated.