9/11 Memorial Cruise honors lives lost Sunday morning

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Sunday morning, a 9/11 memorial cruise honored the lives lost. Dozens of motorcyclists and drivers met at a veteran owned coffee shop, Valley Espresso, at 675 Security Boulevard in Colorado Springs.

Twisted Boost Media, Marcel Rasokat and Travis Baker hosted the bike rally. Motorcyclists and drivers took the route to 85/87 south to Academy, then Academy West to 115 to Fort Carson Gate One. The ride culminated at another veteran-owned business, Red Leg Brewery.

Mark Stallins, a trumpeter, played the National Anthem Sunday morning to signal the start of the commemorative event.

Friday marked the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which killed almost 3,000 people in Manhattan, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Event organizer, Marcel Rasokat says, "You can imagine what those families feel, even almost 20 years later."

Organizers of Sunday's bike event say that even though COVID-19 has impacted the way ceremonies and gatherings are conducted, that events like these are critical.

Veteran, Travis Baker, says, "I get emotional every year. The very first year that we kicked this off, it was the first time I myself had been back to Fort Carson Gate One, after four friends of mine’s names were added to the rocks."

He adds, "But when it comes to stuff like this, we become a family and more people in the world need to see that and need to know that still exists."