MASSIVE TURNOUT FOR TRIBUTE RIDE
Thousands honor motorcyclists killed in N.H. crash
LACONIA, N.H. — Seven may have fallen, but thousands more have risen to show support for the victims killed by a tragic June 21 motorcycle crash in Randolph, N.H.
Over 4,500 motorcyclists riding 3,000 motorcycles came together to form a tight-knit group for the Ride for the 7 Fallen on Saturday to honor and memorialize the seven Jarheads Motorcycle Club bikers whose lives were cut short last month when a pickup truck collided with the group.
Thousands of bikes filled the Broken Spoke Saloon parking lot in Laconia, N.H., Saturday, the meeting point for most of the riders. The restaurant buzzed with music from a DJ, food, drinks and a raffle that raised over $3,000.
The motorcyclists took off on their ride to the scene of the accident in Randolph at noon — first sharing a prayer and a rendition of the national anthem — before bikes streamed out of Broken Spoke for an uninterrupted 30 minutes.
Spectators lined the road along the start of the route, some waving American flags and holding up peace signs as the motorcyclists went by.
“We’re Americans. Period. And this is an American thing. You have to do this. You’ve got to show respect,” said Steve Kirschner, a biker from Loudon, N.H.
Kirschner’s friend and fellow biker Mark Silegy from Center Barnstead, N.H., added, “It was a terrible tragedy that never should have happened … just the way it happened bothers me. Seven fellow Marines and I’m a Marine, it just bothers me.”
“They were all taken away unnecessarily,” said Silegy.
The event, organized on Facebook by Brian DeSimone of Derry, N.H., and a group of local motorcyclists, quickly went viral and racked up 3,500 participants.
DeSimone said via Facebook he was emotional thinking about the outpouring of support. “I never thought that just trying to do a ride to pay our respects and make sure these poor individuals were never forgotten has turned into this,” he wrote.
Jim Hannah of Laconia, a Marine veteran with the American Legion, said he met with Jarheads members at bike week, which is held every year in Laconia.
“I spent time with them down here, they’re good people,” said Hannah.
Hannah said seeing the huge turnout gave him goosebumps. “What you have here is what those boys wanted. … It’s a celebration of life.”
Bill Crowe, president of the Elks’ Medford-Malden lodge, said the motorcyclist community is very giving. “That’s probably one thing that connects every rider — charity.”
Once the bikers arrived in Randolph, the group was soon met with a heavy downpour and gusty winds, but once again they joined to offer condolences and prayers. Seven crosses and hundreds of American flags stood proudly at the site.
The event, which would usually take about a year to coordinate, according to DeSimone, came together in just over a week.
Many state and local agencies worked to make the event happen — a success highlighted by N.H. Gov. Chris Sununu, who tweeted: “Heartfelt appreciation to all who came together to make the #Ride4Fallen7 a success.
It was an all-hands-on-deck effort with assistance from local police and fire departments.”
The crash in Randolph, N.H., killed Jo-Ann and Edward Corr, both 58, of Lakeville; Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, N.H.; Albert Mazza, 59, of Lee, N.H.; Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, N.H.; Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, N.H.; and Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, R.I.
A GoFundMe web page created for the victims and their families had raised nearly $550,000 as of Saturday afternoon.