You may have seen a large group of bicyclists making their way through Christian County Thursday morning, and the members of the Kentucky Brotherhood have several hundred miles left to go on their voyage to honor fallen first responders.
Their journey began in Paducah and they won’t stop until they make it Bardstown, Kentucky—and on that journey, they’ve been stopping in communities along the way, taking a moment to remember the fallen who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their communities.
One of those stops was in Hopkinsville Thursday, as the cyclists made a stop at the Police Memorial behind the Hopkinsville Police Department on North Main Street. They were guided there by the Christian County Sheriff’s Department, HPD, and numerous other agencies that have joined in on the endeavor while the group makes their way through western Kentucky.
The Kentucky Brotherhood Ride is made up of a group of individuals that ride their bicycles around the state to honor those fallen, made up of police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel and the family members of the fallen.
This initiative has been taking place since 2019 and honors first responders from all walks, including EMS, law enforcement, firefighters, corrections, Fish and Wildlife personnel and K9s. The memorial in Hopkinsville lists 10 names— Officer R.H. West, Officer Henry Layne, Officer Charles Hord, Deputy Wallace Meyers, Officer Owen Flack, Officer Amos Faulkner, Trooper Joseph Ward, Officer Bob Banker, Specialist James Sakofsky and Officer Phillip Meacham—and all were remembered and honored by this visit from their first responder brethren.
Now, the group will continue on their 400-mile journey with those names in their hearts.
Photos from Christian County Sheriff’s Department and Hopkinsville Police Department