The Tour of Honor Motorcycle Ride began in 2010 as a way for motorcycle riders to honor veterans and first responders in all 50 states. The riders have raised tens of thousands of dollars for veteran and first responder charities across America. The tour takes place between April and October, with more than 1,000 participants nationwide. To qualify for a certificate, each rider must visit at least seven designated veteran or first responder memorials. Riders must stop and take a picture of themselves, along with the memorial, as proof of their visit. The stops can be done all in one state or spread out over many states, depending on how long of a bike ride each person wants to take. The riders keep score cards of each site they visit and submit them with their photos to receive their participation certificate. The state of West Virginia has seven designated memorials. The veterans’ memorial in New Cumberland was chosen as one of the sites for 2025. Many of the riders who have visited the memorial have left behind their official Tour of Honor token or some other piece of memorabilia, including a set of dog tags, to honor local veterans. Recently, a participant from New Philadelphia stopped to take a photo in front of the monument, leaving behind one of his tokens. “New Cumberland is honored to be one of the chosen sites this year, and we hope many more riders choose to visit our memorial before October,” officials stated.

— Contributed