ELKHART — Saturday couldn’t have been nicer for the Freedom Ride coupled with Bike Night on the Civic Plaza.

Clear, sunny skies accompanied the riders on a 70-mile trek throughElkhart County.

Alisha Boling, daughter of Staff Sgt. Craig Boling, who died in 2003 while deployed in Kuwait, was touched by the crowd who came out to honor Elkhart County’s fallen soldiers.

“It was actually really neat, just to see everybody lining up,” she said. “We never saw the end of the line.

“This is almost 10 years later and to still see a community remembering him, it’s appreciated,” she said following the memorial service downtown.

Blue Shoecraft, father of Justin Shoecraft, said “It’s beautiful. They did an excellent job.”

Justin’s mom, Donna, said, “to me that’s all I care about, is people never forget.” Their son died almost two years ago in Afghanistan, and while his loved ones will never forget, his mom said, “It makes it a little bit easier to realize we don’t forget” as a community.

Jim Bontrager, the Elkhart Police chaplain, said to the families, on behalf of roughly 1,000 people gathered there, “We are a grateful community.”

Don French, chaplain for the Elkhart Fire Department, said to the crowd, “You being here is a testimony to family and loved ones: It’s not in vain.”

The ride was put on by the Elkhart Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 52 and the International Association of Firefighters 338, as well as police and firefighter motorcycle clubs. Money raised will go toward the Wounded Warriors Project.The ride honored Boling, Shoecraft, Aaron Seal, Kyle Thomas, James Snyder, Jeffery Corban, David Wilkey, Jr., Mark Lawton, Marvin Calhoun, Jr., Travis Hunsberger and Marvin Trost, III.

James Ballard, FOP president, was pleased with the event. “It’s very patriotic. When’s the last time you saw this many people out downtown enjoying themselves?”

Trost’s mom, Joyce Adcock, has participated in many rides in honor of her son, and Saturday’s event, she said, “was very touching.”