Photo by Deb Gau A member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association saluted during a ceremony honoring fallen military service members, before the Ride 2 Remember in Granite Falls. As a roll call of fallen service members was read, supporters placed red roses at the foot of a battlefield cross.

GRANITE FALLS — They were gathered to honor fallen soldiers. But that wasn’t the only thing participants in the Ride 2 Remember were doing Saturday — they were also helping veterans get much-needed support services.

The annual Ride 2 Remember started out in Granite Falls on Saturday morning. Organizers said proceeds from this year’s ride would go toward a new sober living house for veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Bravo Zulu House is planned to open next spring in Martin County.

“We are so grateful to have been selected from among the literally hundreds of wonderful nonprofit organizations in the state of Minnesota that are doing great things every day to help veterans,” said Tim Murray, executive director of Bravo Zulu House.

For many veterans, alcohol or drug addiction starts out as a way to self-medicate from the effects of PTSD, ride organizers said.

“For many veterans, the scars of war are not only physical, but emotional and psychological,” Ride 2 Remember assistant director Ryan Bromeland told ride participants. “For those struggling with PTSD, life can feel like an unending battle.”

Speakers at the ride’s opening ceremony encouraged people to reach out and support veterans in their communities.

“To our veteran community and everybody else here today, you are not alone,” Bromeland said. “It’s crucial to seek help and stay connected with those that support you and everything you do.”

The Ride 2 Remember honors military service members who have died. Before motorcyclists got out on the road Saturday, they held a ceremony where roses were laid at the foot of a battlefield cross, in memory of U.S. service members.

The ride typically draws more than 200 motorcyclists, said Vanessa Bromeland, treasurer of the Ride 2 Remember board.

Murray said it was a priest and Army chaplain, Col. Martin Fleming, who was the founder behind Bravo Zulu House.

“He asked me to help him roll out a series of faith-based sober houses, which we called Trinity Sober Homes. We currently have the highest post-treatment recovery rate in the nation, at 71%,” Murray said. “During COVID, we asked ourselves, what else could we be doing with this model that’s obviously working?”

The idea for Bravo Zulu House came from the need for support services geared toward veterans.

“We’re helping veterans coming out of treatment that are suffering from both addition and PTSD,” Murray said. Every year, around 360,000 veterans go to treatment for addiction in the U.S., he said, but there was a lack of treatment services geared toward veterans with PTSD.

“We’re deciding to step in and fill that gap,” Murray told riders. “With your donation and a couple others we’re expecting, we’ll have completed our $750,000 raise to remodel and build this beautiful building that’s going to be over in Martin County.”

Murray said Bravo Zulu House will start out with space for 13 male veterans. The average stay for a veteran will be about 12 to 18 months, he said.

Murray said organizers of Bravo Zulu House were “thrilled” to see the support the project has received from people in southwest Minnesota.

“Community members have stepped up and said, ‘How can we help you?'” Murray said.

Saturday’s ride brought together motorcyclists from across the region. Ruth Cyphers said she made the early-morning trip from Fairmont to take part in the Ride 2 Remember. It was good to help support projects like Bravo Zulu House, she said.

“It’s just necessary,” Cyphers said.