SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – This Sunday, the local Lincoln Chapter ABATE & Staab Funeral Home are coming together or riding together in honor. “Ride in Honor” this year is benefiting the Veterans Memorial Foundation. Josh Witkowski of the ABATE local chapter, was on The WTAX Morning Newswatch as a guest to talk about the upcoming ride.

“Ride in Honor started 13 years ago when Staab Funeral Home reached out to Lincoln Land ABATE, which is the local chapter for ABATE of Illinois, a state motorcyclist rights organization. (They) proposed doing a ride to benefit a different veterans charity every year. So, this year, we’re benefiting the Veterans Memorial Foundation. ” 

Witkowski says the ride is open to motorcycles, cars, and Jeeps.

“Sunday at noon, Staab Funeral Home, they’re on South 5th Street. We’ll be leaving about 1 PM. 
And we’re going to make stops at some of the memorials and cemeteries. We are going to be at Camp Butler. We’re going to go to Veteran’s Memorial Park in Riverton, Spaulding Veterans Memorial, the Heart of War Plaza at Oak Ridge Cemetery, and the New Berlin Memorial as well.”

Did you know there are ties between veterans and motorcycle clubs?

“A great majority of what we consider modern motorcycle clubs, started from veterans who came back from World War II,” said Witkowski. “That’s when we really started seeing an explosion in the motorcycle community and motorcycle club movement. A lot of them were buying military surplus bikes or just motorcycles in general, and keeping that community going. 
So there’s always been a close tie for nearly a century now at this point.”

For more details for this “Ride in Honor,” CLICK HERE