Ride for the Stones raises $19,000
BAGLEY — The 11th Annual Clearwater County “Ride for the Stones” was a huge success, breaking the previous record of money raised from over $16,000 last year to over $19,000 this year.
On Saturday, Aug. 31, the weather was sunny but a bit windy, yet riders came out in large numbers. When the ride took off at noon from the American Legion Irvin Blix Post 16 in Bagley, there were 122 bikes, with a total of 180 riders.
The ride continued throughout Clearwater County, making a couple stops along the way for breaks. The ride ended back at Post 16 at 4 p.m.
Once back, the riders were treated to an “all-you-can eat” pulled barbecue pork dinner with all the fixings, which was included in the price of the ticket to participate in the ride. Non-riders were able to join the festivities for a small fee. There was a raffle as well; that’s always a crowd favorite.
The raffle included numerous items from individuals and businesses all over Northern Minnesota. Attendees could purchase tickets for the individual item or items they hoped to win. All proceeds from the ride, the dinner and the raffle go toward the purchase of paver stones for veterans who served in the military from World War I through the present and are laid to rest in a Clearwater County cemetery. These are deceased veterans who have no family to purchase stones in their honor.
Each paver stone costs about $200. The veterans name and branch of service is engraved on each stone. The stones are then placed in the Clearwater County Veterans Memorial in Bagley. Each year after the ride, the name of each veteran without a paver stone are drawn at random, and $19,000 will buy a lot of pavers!
In 2024 the Clearwater County Veterans Memorial was re-dedicated after the completion of the wall depicting a veteran (each veteran is raised off the wall) from each branch of the military, located on the northeast wall of the memorial site.
Visitors to the memorial are able to walk the grounds of this inspiring memorial and view the pavers laid. Additionally, visitors may use the kiosk located on the northwest side of memorial to search for specific veterans and where their stone is located.
