YARMOUTH – Hundreds of motorcycles took a ride from the Barnstable County Sheriff’s office in Bourne to Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Sunday to honor the lives of members of the Armed Forces killed in action.
The 7th Big Nick’s Ride for the Fallen kicked off at 9 a.m. with speeches from Special Sheriff Jeff Perry, Barnstable County Sheriff James Cummings and the event’s founder, Yarmouth Deputy Police Chief Steven Xiarhos.
Xiarhos’s son, Nicholas, was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan. All proceeds benefit the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Memorial Fund and the Massachusetts Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes Memorial Fund.
Perry said the event featured heavy symbolism, from the ride ending where Nicholas went to school, to the fact that motorcycle riding symbolizes freedom for many taking part.
He spoke at the opening ceremony at the Sheriff’s Complex, across the street from the Massachusetts National Cemetery.
“Nick rests diagonally across the street,” he said. “We ride through the streets of Cape Cod where he grew up and which he loved.”
Around 950 motorcycles were registered for the event this year, with riders from across the region.
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