Steven Xiarhos on 15 years of Big Nick's Ride coming up July 21st, gold star families

saraphina and I were in a entrepreneurial book club where Stephanie never read the right book and Stephanie was terrible at this book club I really stopped at CL I did not fabulous I'm what I just had a visual just had a visual proud of it hey everybody what's going on happy Friday to you thanks for joining us in the lemon Ado Studio what a freaking treat it's my treat happy Friday oh my gosh whenever I talk to Don you've got amazing people on your team absolutely really I couldn't do it without the team honestly yeah there's so much that goes into just being a regular person but to be a repex that's you know what no one's ever said that but it's true my life is is all over the place it's got to be a sitcom at some point do you like sit with your wife and you're like um we'll schedule a date next week on a Wednesday and we have to get away because at 11: in the afternoon in the morning it's fascinating I'm blessed in many ways to do this but yeah my life it's a journey very cool Dave Samson my favorite people he's great man where have you been Buddy you need to get over here we need to we need to revisit it he was in the early days of when we started lemon Ado our studio was on the other side of the basement we are getting ready to move into our own actual building this this place is growing and we've outgrown our boxes and basement dwellings and I'm very excited for all of the the new stuff that is coming up but I feel like we need to talk today about you've got big Nick's ride coming up yes 15 years yeah 15 years ago July 23rd 20 n you know my life changed forever um we lost Nicholas 21y old born and raised Cape Carter Fighting For Freedom uh in Afghanistan that was the worst day of my life and um my family and that's what happens that's the price of freedom and here we are 15 years later and big Nick's ride um has kept us going yeah and and strengthen us and we've done so many things because of it so it's special to talk about but yeah the price of freedom is not free I can't imagine what that's like as a parent losing a child but also the other children like your other your other family members very good point uh a lot of people think about parents or the husband or the wife or the children of a Fallen Hero but yeah the siblings you know my my other children Alex was 19 and my twins Elizabeth and Ashlin were 15 and their big brother yeah never came home and that's a freshman in high school think about like everything is happening for you at that point in time and in a way you kind of lose your parent because your parents so consumed with grief how did you know that because I you you just do I mean we've we've lost a child that was an infants but it's it's still the same you my children felt very alone at that time yeah you're just trying to survive no no one teaches you what to do and uh and imagine yeah for my twins who were at Dy at the time yeah imagine seeing their brother being W in the gym yeah and how are they now today with this do they feel like it's so much about do they feel like it's a celebration do they feel part of it yes is it a lot for them no we've we've grown I mean it's been 15 years and I feel like grief is just kind of displaced it doesn't hurt as much but it hurts every day just different yes that's well said um we've come to honor it yeah and and it happened for me during ride eight so I always struggled with the why like why did God take Nick why you know thousands have served and why did he take Nick and yeah at the end of year eight IGN Nick's ride for the Fallen thousands of people motorcycles we pulled into Dy High School where the bizarre moment you're like what was the aha moment it was here it was right there and I got off my motorcycle and I was crying because it's very emotional to see and feel it all and a gold star dad Paul Monty came over to me he lost his son Jared and uh that's the song I Drive Your Truck by Lee Bryce he was driving his son's truck in big Nick's ride and he pulled up and he said Steve what's wrong and I said I just don't know why and he said you don't know why and I said no Paul and it's slowly killing me and he said come with me and he put me on the tailgate of his son's truck the Lee Bryce famous song yeah two guys sitting on the tailgate and he looked at me and he said Steve I know why and he said God saw Nick doing good things and he needed to take him to do great things and this like heat went through my body yeah and uh it's helped me see that there's a bigger picture MH and and look what we've been able to do yeah I mean 15 years of bignick ride talk about the ride a little bit um I'm sure everyone is different emotionally different the people are different the times are different everybody's going through different stuff you survived Co you did all these you know weatherwise I mean you've done it in pretty much any condition at this point we have we'll never stop thanks to the volunteers like you mentioned they're all volunteers like it's there's no one getting paid it's a nonprofit that was started you know with this this tragedy but it's yeah it's a 35 mile ride it starts at the bille County Sheriff's Office we surround the prison with a thousand motorcycles uh that must be exciting for them yeah and and I remember I remember Sheriff said you know Steve don't worry about that I want them to hear the bikes right and I want them to hear the sound of freedom and maybe next time they won't make a mistake I I like it yeah it was pretty special so it's stats out very serious we have you know Pledge of Allegiance national anthem we have speeches we have some of Nick's marines that that that have made it and we have a fly over and then we take off and it's 35 miles of a thousand motorcycles and thousand the vibration alone must just be like yeah it's it's special and to see the people the it's like a 35 mile parade yeah so there's people in the route right from the start at the sheriff's department all along General MacArthur Boulevard all along the cape card Canal now did you ride before is this why this was like you tried to meld something of your life that's a great question no I never rode a motorcycle in my life so where did the motorcycle come from that's a great point it was a man named Ben Perry Ben Perry a mashby a police dispatcher a former Yarmouth firefighter dispatcher and a US Marine motorcycle rider okay came to me in my worst days you know when it just happened he said Steve we want to do a ride for Nick and I said Ben I don't even know how to ride I don't he said just say yes yeah and they taught me how to ride a motorcycle that's kind of cool in a parking lot uh I got my permit my license did you think a former police officer would be indoctrinated into his weird gang like this weird biker gang it's it's and it's kind of cool it is kind of cool and uh but I remember the first ride right I had got my permit my license I didn't even have a motorcycle uh someone let me borrow his and I'm doing the ride and at that time it was 300 motorcycles and I was like 301 I was the last I'm not going to fall off this because I am not gonna do this in front of people I was the last bike and I had never been on the road I was just in a parking lot oh wow so it was something and now 15 years later I lead the Thousand bikes and we've raised over 500 600,000 we've given every penny away every penny away to somebody somewhere Inc it's become incredible and it's it honors all of the Fallen right we've lost 16 from Cape Cod in this longest war it's awful awful and we uh we thank those that made it home the the veterans that put their lives on the lines from all wars this is the chance for people to come out and show show their love and respect and thank them a lot of the veterans are on motorcycles a lot of them are on the side of the roads and they've come to me and said Steve you've changed our life especially the Vietnam Vets they they felt like they weren't thanked and now they feel so grateful they ride in the ride they stand on the side and one of the Vietnam Vets wives told wife told me you've made him feel proud again yeah I love that it's one of those moments I prior service and I get to host at our national cemetery Memorial Day and it's really incredible to see the amount of prior service that come from all walks of life from all over the world for this wonderful ceremony that we put on yes um and it it's it's just really incredible to to bring so many very amazing veterans that we have here on the cape together on these moments on these occasions to get together absolutely that was solemn this is more of a celebration of life the beginning solemn the ride is a mixture of everything yeah Pride sadness everything people saluting crying babies on the side you know in carriages how do you mentally prepare for like such a roller coaster yeah that's a great question it's it's um it's hard yeah yeah because it's a massive operation so you're thinking you know we want to make sure everybody's safe you're remembering you know the worst day of your life um you so you go from Pride to to sad and you just and I'm writing a Harley and yeah and I think you just make it through the people give us the strength you know I can remember people saluting I can remember people you know crying all the the sites helic you know the state police helicopter flies above us I mean those are magnanimous moments what do you say to the people that are struggling in their moments that are are not these wonderful celebration moments these parents that have lost people people that are struggling to just do a routine you've got to be a routine person I mean you're fit you're former police officer there's got to be a routine in there that gets you through your day you just never give up stay positive you're not alone yeah that was a big feeling we felt alone that's how big Nick's ride started so Ben Perry had the idea but during the funeral and I'm in the you know funeral car with with Lisa Nick's mom and my kids Alex Ashlin and Elizabeth we're devastated we're in the procession MH and I heard the sound of a motorcycle go by me and then I heard another s we were being escort I don't remember seeing them but we were being escorted yeah and I looked and I said do you hear that and they said yes and I said we're not alone it was the sound of the motorcycles that made us feel we weren't alone that we'll get through this yeah and it's the people of Cape Cod and beyond that we really have a Community un like other I can remember the sites as we were going through the people coming out of their homes standing on the side the the workers at motels on Route 28 like bowing their heads it's just it shows what uh the good in human beings yeah from all walks of life like you said and not only the military Community remember 99% are not military um it gives others the chance to show their love and gratitude for Freedom mhm woo it's some heavy stuff but we've got another ride coming up it's next weekend already Yes July 21st it's always right around July 23rd I've noticed you've built kind of a weekend around the thing cuz I saw you guys over at Sea doog and I'm like what is this now we got a weekend celebration we uh we it's big Nick's ride weekend so we start Friday uh we ride a poker run on Saturday all around people start from all over all over the world yeah they're staying in motels the longest was New Zealand a gentleman from Co a guy from New Zealand came and he said Steve I heard about Nick I want to ride a Harley in America and I want to see how you treat your fallen and he rode with us cool really special his name is anaro and he's a soldier and at at night we always spend sunset with Nick so on the day of that ride thousands of people but at Sunset there might be 10 of us yeah and we went to visit Nick and this gentleman prayed and then he did a New Zealand War dance on Nick's grave how amazing honestly that is just stuff that you don't see and it's really incredible that you've brought that to the cape yes Nick brought that to the C he did and these others that helped you know Ben Perry Rick Thompson cat Wilson Dawn everybody that's keeping it going but yeah it wasn't planned but maybe it was right yeah we don't know what the plan is God we don't know what the plan is Tom Jim Melanie thank you guys so much uh Melanie sending Mr X sending lots of love for Nick and your family Cindy Laurel Diana uh Susan thank you guys so much for joining us this morning we've got repx in the studio today he's wearing his dad hat right now we're talking about big Nick's ride and I think it's important to talk about the hats as a human um I'm really glad to have this conversation with you because I I'm out and about I hear all the things what people's conversations are uh you I got to host you in your political realm of things just a little bit when we had a conversation with other reps and um it was enlightening also you this one here's a minute to talk perfectly Nails it a minute I appreciate your cander I didn't have to buffer him I didn't have to tell him or prompt him he knew this is how much time I have I'm gonna go former radio gal here appreciating this very much so I was like all right good keeping it clean but everybody has an opinion obviously we're in such a diverse political Spectrum right now and we're not going to get super political on this by any means uh whatever your beliefs are whatever your beliefs are but it's really nice to have a conversation with you as a human yes uh it's very difficult when you look on social media to have people look at something and then judge you immediately and we're out here doing our best we're smiling we're nodding we're shaking baby's hands we're out in the community trying to figure out the pulse of the community so that we can do our jobs amen our jobs are very different but we're both out here doing community jobs so when you see you flash your gorgeous smile and that million dooll face when people say oh well he's just there for the photo or he's just there for the this I really want you to understand that this person right here deeply cares about the things that are going on in our community and it's not just a social media flash in the pan so maybe you can talk about some of the things that you've been working on yeah I I'm blessed to do this work you know 40 years of being a police officer and now four years as a state represent what the hell made you wanted to get into politics to I well it's yeah I don't like the politics I like the service it's serving others so it's kind of a natural progression to go from policing to this you serve others you you believe in what you're doing and uh what what was the moment was the murder of sha Ganon and the shooting of K9 Nero okay that I being on the force at that time I sent them on that mission that was me and uh and I stood there while we lost Shan and I stood there while we brought Nero out of the house with a bullet in his head bleeding to death and nobody would help him because it was against the law that was the moment that propelled me to leave the job I loved uh run for office in some world that I've never done yeah and I've never heard this story and so that was the moment that uh I said this is wrong we had someone with 125 prior crimes out on the street selling drugs illegally armed he shot killed my brother officer 32-year-old wonderful human being he shot a police dog and uh he ruined lives that day that person and that I had to run to make a difference and we did we made Nero's law which is the law of the Commonwealth where now if a police dog is injured in the line of duty 18,000 paramedics in Massachusetts have been trained in how to save its life put it in an ambulance treat it and Save that Hero's life that's turning tragedy into Triumph and it kind of comes with Nick's story too like these these horrible things that happen try to turn them to something better my life is about service and and being a good human being and living worthy of the sacrifices made for us it's really not about politics it's about service thank you and I'm proud to do it and I'm blessed to do it that was the day Cap Cod came like in silence came together I remember having to go and be uh do a Morning Show the next day and having to take these phone calls and that's what we did we took people's phone calls of grief really how did this happen how did just every questions and sadness and membrance and and what do we do with this yes it was it was an awful day on the air awful day and um so what do you do with it what we did we made a law it's the law of the land it's the law in Rhode Island it's the law in New Hampshire con icut because of us we built a million dooll training center in Sean's memory in the back of Yarmouth Police Headquarters aming and so it's turning tragedy into Triumph it's it's but it's all about service and helping others and I lead from my heart yeah it comes from the heart that's how I was raised well going into service is one thing taking on the service of the people that's a different story it is this has been your biggest platform yet of people of all things I feel like police work kind of set the ground for being able to rise above that's very well said because I thought the police world was a big world and it is but no this is bigger it's everyone yeah it's everybody's opinion yes I represent 45,000 people in the fighting fifth barnable District right from barnable to Buzzard's Bay right and the rest of my day today I'll be working with them trying to help them yeah and you know taking heat sometimes right but uh most people realize that um I'm there um because I believe in trying to do good yeah and uh if they don't know me I try to get them to know me and then um support the mission politics is fascinating yeah and it should be a good thing you should think of politician as wow that's a special uh position to be well it is a special position nobody wants it though because what the hell is happening Susan says stepen Steve X for president Joanie hi good morning Jim says live streaming big Nicks ride again this year stay tuned oh I'll be looking forward to watching that for sure talk to me about some of your first days when you decide to run you win it's a l oh my gosh they want me they really want me and then you go and you know nothing how scary is that it was it was January 6th I'm getting sworn in the State House in Boston Massachusetts where I always say freedom was born we're the ones Massachusetts men and women started America yeah right and I'm in the people's house and I'll never forget I walked in and the uh the ranger the park ranger that protects us and the state police I had you know really didn't know where I was going here for the yeah and I'm getting sworn in but it was covid so no one was allowed in the building except the new 16 people so we I'm walking in I think I would have liked that better it would have been less stressful it was special but I'll never forget what he said he said sir welcome to your new house and I'll never forget it and I walked in and then Kip Diggs came in right that's my friend Kip Diggs you know we share the Lost of a son he lost his son in a tragic car crash we both ran for office we both were elected and we both sat together in the people's house alone no one was there yet and we looked up and we said how did we get here right what did we do wrong why why no we were very really proud and Kip said it's it's it's our sons that helped us get here and he said oh I just got chills yeah and he said his son said dad get to work yeah wow and then you do your work and you meet people from all over you know there's 160 state representatives serving 8 million people yeah and I'm meeting with people from l Springfield you know Northampton everybody has their different things and feelings and emotions they bring to their their jobs yeah and that's what government is about and and to work together when you can to make good decisions and and when you don't agree you diplomatically uh disagree and and and get things done as best as you can is there a time where you were like I'm so out of my league right here what why why what uh I don't know I didn't know that sorry I'll take it back yeah no it was never that but there was a time my one of my fir I serve on some very big committees Public Safety veterans uh mental health and substance abuse which is very needed to be changed yes so I'm in that world and the Ways and Means Committee I'm on the most powerful committee where all the money comes from so I hear a lot I learn a lot and uh one of the gentleman said Steve you know uh you got to stop thinking like a cop and I said what do you mean he said well you are in these meetings and you're you're trying to get things done and move on to the next one yeah and I go yes he goes well that's not how this works all the time it takes time and it takes this 7,000 bills that we have that's what I'm saying it's like you're coming into the third quarter and you're like I haven't been watching the game what's happening catch me up and you just serve with your heart and we worked hard and we made Nero's law you know as a as a rookie with the help of all my colleagues we made a law I got to say I feel like the cape gets forgotten a lot in the Boston realm of things and I'm glad that we've got you guys fighting for us to be you know hi we're here yeah yeah we're on the outside but we're still here you're right because the cities that's where most people live right so Boston L Lawrence New Bedford Springfield wora there's you know hundreds of thousands of people but the cape we stay strong our delegation and we we work with others to get things done Cindy wants to know if you see yourself pursuing a higher office I do okay but my work is not done in the fighting fifth yeah we have to do my job in this District but uh I'm always willing to serve others and um and we need good people yeah to serve that are there for others not for themselves well you know what I feel like everybody's heart is in the right place but I feel like the the hurdle that people are coming across is they're uneducated about what to do where do I start where do I go how do I jump in that seems complicated I'm afraid I'll be embarrassed there are a whole host of reasons why people don't get into politics or wait into it or want to talk about it because when you don't know about something you avoid it yeah and I'd be happy to teach them because it's fascinating um but there is negative I've had threats to me I've had horrible letters written about my son Nicholas Well everybody's a tough person behind their computer screen or in their own home but when you are actually meeting people in real life and in person it's a very different space and I will look them in the eye uh face to face if I do get to meet them and I and and try to educate them that you can't write these horrible emails and letters disrespecting Fallen Hero yeah disrespecting my children like they do that and one of them said to me when I encountered them nicely in public uh in out in public and he said well Steve that's just part of politics I'll never forget and I said no it's not yeah it doesn't have to be dirty like that no just like hey I'm a good person we're trying our best don't disrespect my family and uh it's not part of politics and that's why people don't do it yeah but I've got to encourage people to get involved good people to serve others that are there with a servant's heart to help others you'll be very grateful that you've done it if if you can do it we need you to do it and start at your town level start at your school level yes honestly just begin somewhere to start learning what's going on in this small space and then you can add to it if you want to start somewhere but I know I've got a few people that are would be really good you do okay at jumping in somewhere and I keep telling them like you just got to start small yes and and just learn stuff and go to town hall it's so accessible they're so wonderful over there Mash me burn any any Town you're in just go to your town hall start talking to the people and and when you I I believe life is not a about money right you need money OB everybody does unfortunately yeah but it's about service it really is at the end uh like after 40 Years of policing my last day they had uh people come and visit at the police station I'll never it was like a live wake I you know I'm standing there and there were hundreds of people that stood in line to shake my hand and like thank me for something that I got to do in 40 years that affected them that's incredible it was really special cuz I don't remember yesterday so when people bring up memories I'm like oh I did do that good I'm glad you were happy and and it can be hey you arrested me when I was young and you you you you squared me away maybe that's what it was yeah so it it it taught me that life is about service and now I'm able to keep serving and I love it yeah talk to me about working with some of these families that you work with I mean you're in the community some of the gold star families I know that they're 16 in on kod 16 in this war right uh you know I have the list right here and you know the town of mashby lost five of the 16 and uh we've all become part of a family that we never wanted to be part of and everybody handles it differently some are uh quiet and and they just can't go in public some like me I feel it's my my mission to stand up for the the fall and and educate others and remember these people are heroes they really are heroes yeah The more I've learned about that summer of 2009 uh from Nicks marines that made it home that are now 35 we're lucky that hundreds more weren't killed this is the price of freedom and uh so I try to help the gold stop families we have the Jeep so thanks to Dawn and Michelle that the beginning of the ride is uh jeeps and in those Jeeps are gold star families that can see and feel feel the thousands of people like saluting and cheering and crying and it makes them stronger and and that's part of life like life is short and it's precious and you know I know that I lost a son I lost a brother officer um and we have to do everything we can while we're here to live worthy and and and be a good person I want to talk about some of the the things you brought here today yeah yeah um this is quite a a poster that Dawn had framed you know it kind of tells Nick's life um his Dy life you know he they called him the mayor of Dy the Dolphins yeah because he he had the ability to get along with everyone that's what they told us you learn a lot afterwards uh then his you know why he became a marine was September 11th the the attack on America he was 12 he said dad I'm going to fight for my country and then you know the horrible day that happened and in three years all of his medals you know he he was an infantry Marine 6 foot 200 pound wonderful young man and U we lost him too early and there's a quote that I always love um it comes from President Obama who who said this at Camp leun to Nicholas and all the Marines he went to camp leun and he met Nicholas and all story of life and he said each of you has your own story and that story is now part of the history of the United States of America a nation that exists only because free men and women have bled for it from the beaches of Normandy to the deserts of anbar from the mountains of Korea to the streets of Kandahar you teach us that the price of freedom is great your sacrifice should challenge all of us every single American to ask what can we do to be better citizens it's incredible Jen long says it's okay um I will forever love this man know him my whole life go dy I know Jen and yes God bless her yeah it's okay if civilians you want to salute the Riders you go right ahead you do what you want to do I'm so over what's right and what's wrong in that realm of things for gestures if you're not prior service you do what you want to do your person get it done here's another picture I did bring this is what we call the last hug so that's Nick and I and uh he was getting on the bus at camp leun with a thousand men young men to go to the planes to Afghanistan and we hugged each other and uh he was crushing me and uh and I had a coin in my hand it was the uh Footprints in the Sand prayer coin and I gave it to Nick and uh he we hugged and then he walked away and you know I never saw him again i' never I've never seen his body I've never heard his voice but after he died on July 23rd about a week later uh a marine came from Afghanistan to my home and he put that coin in my hand he said it was in Nick's pocket when he died so I know that God carried Nick such heavy stuff such a wonderful way for you to remember his life and to to grow to just push forward and to do great things from that space yes that's incredible thank you for sharing all of this with us today we have tissues let's talk about positive stuff like the Greek vest yes oh my gosh no I honestly thank you for sharing this with me I have not heard some of these small stories and I'm really I I can't be the only one um hearing these things for the first time and your sacrifice is great but what you're doing with it is greater thank you yes thank you it's my honor we did not think that we were going to get in our feelings here I I'm trying to keep it together good morning Miss Emily good morning Miss C thank you for joining us right now we've got repex in the house with us we're talking about Nick we're talking about his life we're talking about those last moments in which Stephen got to see his son and say goodbye and here we are 15 years later yes and the am how much money have you raised from Big Nick's ride oh geez I I think it's 800,000 I mean that's pretty incredible that we're almost here wouldn't it be great we'll have a million probably this year next year somewhere around there yeah and it's important that people know we give every penny away like we're a all volunteer nonprofit managed by the Cape Cod Foundation which they're fantastic y uh so every penny that you donate uh it's going to go somewhere and it we give out most of it on Nick's birthday so on February 12th every year like this year we gave out $35,000 to 35 different groups amazing all over the cape whether it's scholarships or veteran groups or animal we're big with animal therapy part of our mission is to stop veteran suicide you know I'm wearing the 22 kill ring yeah 22 veterans take their lives every day every day in America that's staggering it's and it's horrible and it's wrong and uh we've got to help them so we raise money we we put veterans on horses we we get them serviced dogs we also let them go to Sandy neck Beach it's called Sandy neck for vets so if you're a veteran and you want to go to Sandy neck Beach and four-wheel and have peace and healing we'll pay for that permit amazing those are just some of the things that we're doing to help others and it's it's it's part of Nick's journey and a gold star family and and it's part of being a politician too in a way it's about service and giving back and and being charity and helping others and that's how I was raised and that's how I'll always be how do you take care of Steven uh where where are you in all of this yeah it's sometimes I can get out of balance because it's just constant people constantly asking for help and uh and is it your wife is it your family is it your for me it's motorcycle riding it's become very therapeutic I as we said I never wrote in my life now I ride I love that story one of my favorites yeah I love riding try new things everybody yeah riding motorcycles a running I like to run I I carry the American flag everywhere I run in races um walking in the woods with with my dog Zeus spending time with my family Denise boating sometimes we get out on a boat try to do something uh to clear your head so you can be strong to keep serving yeah so yeah I miss that part I get swept up in it a lot so I'm always curious when I talk to people that are highly functioning highly serving being out there in the community what do you do for you because making that line of separation is very difficult sometimes it can be and I can feel it when I need a break yeah and uh and then I'll just do what we do and come back stronger awesome I really appreciate you sharing all of this with us the human side of you today I think it's really important people see that especially as we're going into reelection yeah this is who we are and uh how do you feel about it this this with the political climate being what it is yeah I myself dig into to local yeah I I stay focused on my district we are the fighting fifth Barnstable District uh I I need to be reelected to keep the mission going Federal uh State politics is is one thing and then uh local politics and then there's National but I really stay focused on my job and my mission and I try to help others um become motivated to run for office because it's really special and we need good people to serve others talk to some of our younger viewers today about why it's so important for them to get registered to vote and might be a little bit nervous about it my daughter is voting for the first time this year she was immediately very excited like but not all of her friends are you should yeah everybody should register to vote everybody should vote I have people that tell me oh X we don't even vote and I'm like what do you mean well it's not worth it it doesn't ma it does matter and and there's people like Nick and uh Alicia and Paul Conlin and Jerry Danto the they died for freedom and their parents miss them so if you have the uh the right to vote you've got to do it and you vote for someone you believe in it doesn't have to be party just who do you believe in do your research don't just follow social media like learn about the candidate yeah and and support that person and whether it's locally state or national like we can make a difference when we stick together to do good things I love it anything else you want to say to us before you leave I mean we're nine what is it nine days away from Big Nick's ride yeah it's G to be special we have people from coming from All Over America and I guess um I I I another moment that comes to mind the power of this ride there was another night at the end of the night you know at Sunset we go to visit Nick and uh there were 15 when we pulled up on our bikes there were 15 of Nick's Marines already there and they were visiting with Nick and they were drinking and smoking cigars at his grave and uh and I walked up and they called me Papa X and they said Papa X you know and and and then I was just quiet and they told me stories I've never heard in my life they felt like they felt regret that they made it home and Nick didn't and uh and I told them no we're we're grateful that you did and live your lives and and one of them said Mr X you always thank us and we need to thank you and I said why would you thank me I don't need to be he said' no no sir because you bring us back together again because these guys were at 1920 and 21 right your life barely just started yeah and now they're 30 they have kids and they come back for big Nick's ride they visit they stay with us and they bond again and they they they they feel the love and I just remember that moment where they have so much that they live with and they're grateful to be back together again that's special it is so the ride is bigger than we even think and I encourage everyone to ride or stand on the side or come to Sea Dogs Pub afterwards and celebrate we have live bands we somber in the beginning we Bittersweet during the ride and at the end it's time to celebrate freedom and be proud of being an American and love that red white and blue it means more than anyone would ever know and and I want you to have a big Nicks ride wristband oh look at me I want you to have one of Nick's emblems remember his last words he got to call home and he was screaming in the phone from Afghanistan he told me how bad it was and he couldn't wait to come home he said Dad I just can't wait to come home and then he got on the phone with his mom and Marines don't tell moms that and he said mom don't worry about me I'm living the dream and we've never heard his voice I seen him since that day so this is one of his emblems and then the last thing is uh when Nick was getting on that bus a thousand Marines getting on the buses to go to the plane to go to war uh as they stepped up to the bus there was a veteran at each door and he had the piece of an American flag and I stood there and uh every Marine that stepped up the veteran would say this is a piece of the American flag don't forget where you come from son we love you so so I cut out a piece of the flag for you thank you this means a lot keep doing what you do it's important thank you amen this is heavy I'm not going to cry today he's trying to get me to cry today I'm not going to do it I am going to just continue to tell you to do something whatever it is today tomorrow the next day Monday if you're one of those procrastinators it's okay but do something for somebody else please this weekend whatever it is if you're interested in big Nicks ride please just go to big Nicks ride.org and get involved in some way shape or form if this is not your space find a space for yourself and do something great because we all need you all of Cape Cod does Amen thank you so much we'll be looking forward to this next weekend for a big celebration at the end over at Sea doog and if you want to donate same thing absolutely big Nick ride.org anything that you donate will be put into a fund nonprofit all volunteer and somewhere down the line someone will be benefiting from that and uh and I would also say live your dreams that was Nick's last words don't worry about me Mom I'm living the dream I'm hoping that he is and uh someday I'll see him again but until then then you know we have to live our dreams and and help others serve others live worthy of the sacrifices made for free God Bless America amen we will see you guys soon have a great weekend be safe out there and we'll talk to you Monday morning here repex thank you so much my I I cannot wait to see you at another event he'll be popping up all over the place so now if uh you've seen him here today go up to him talk to him if you've got questions about absolutely anything ask the man yes before you decide to prejudge and we will talk to you shortly have a great weekend bye everyone Hank is coming up next if you're listening lemon ado.com thank you so much for joining us big Nicks ride.org is where you find out more information