This year’s “Big Nick’s Ride for the Fallen” not only attracted hundreds of motorcyclists and thousands of spectators who lined the 35-mile route, it raised just under $69,000 for local military families and veterans.
The ride is sponsored by the Nicholas G. Xiarhos Memorial Foundation Fund of The Cape Cod Foundation. It was started to memorialize U.S. Marine Nicholas Xiarhos who was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 while going to the rescue of his fellow Marines in combat. It continues to honor active service members and veterans from Cape Cod and to pay tribute to 15 others who have lost their lives in service since the September 11 attacks in 2001.
This year’s ride also honored fallen Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon and Weymouth Police Sergeant Michael Chesna who were killed in the line of duty in April and July, respectively.