Villagers Turned Out in Droves to Honor and Respect America’s Front Line Heroes
An estimated 500 163 plus members of the Defenders Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club rode down DeSoto Boulevard from our West Gate to East Gate on Saturday morning, June 25.
Villagers dotted DeSoto Boulevard from gate to gate, a stretch of 14 miles, to wave and cheer on the men and women who selflessly serve or served our Great Nation.
Near the Veterans Memorial, volunteers grilled hot dogs and passed out chips and bottled water to many current and retired military, police, fire, and first-responder personnel during the ride. This special event to honor our heroes in the community was sponsored by individuals making donations and was not paid for by POA funds.
Many kind persons helped to make this a successful event, including Villagers who braved the heat to show their enthusiasm and support for the men and women who serve and protect us. Special thanks to General Manager and Head BBQ Chef, Kelly Hale. This event was a stellar example of what community is about.
By Joe Dowden, Photography and Videography by Joe Dowden
If it had not been almost 100 degrees, bet there would have been more bikers~! It was a great event- thrilling to watch and we are so blessed to have so many veterans and first responders living here! Home of the free, because of the brave!
Thx to u & Joe for covering this nice event , appreciate your efforts , nice chatting w/ u today !
Thank you, Jim. It was our pleasure. Nice chatting with you, too.
What a great event to be able to honor those who have served and supported our great nation and those who are currently doing so. It was inspiring to see so many dedicated folks enjoying themselves all together. I’m glad we were showed our respect and support of them with a warm HSV welcome.
Thanks to all who made this happen, and thanks for the article, videos and pictures, Cheryl & Joe.
Our pleasure, Vicki! Thank you!
The “estimate “ of 500 bikers is greatly inflated. It was 163 bikes, some with two riders but waaay less than 500. It was still a tremendous show of support for our military and first responders.
Danny, thank you for the correction. You obviously are privy to information that I am not. I counted 50 very quickly in the beginning and knew there were a lot of bikes with two people on them. But glad to know it was only 163. Have a blessed day. – Cheryl
Great Motorcycle Event in Hot Springs Village this morning! When the ground starts vibrating and I hear that rumble, my heart starts racing! Thanks for the article and pictures, Cheryl!
Thank you, Missy! Appreciate your support.