ARIZONA FALLEN HERO MEMORIAL RIDERS
May 2026 Newsletter
Stand for the Fallen. Support the Living. Honor Their Legacy.
Before You Scroll…
Every name we honor… every family we support… every ride we organize…
It all continues because people like you choose to stand with us.
A Message From the President
As Memorial Day approached, many Americans gathered with family and friends, enjoyed time together, and reflected on the freedoms we often take for granted. For others, Memorial Day carries a much deeper meaning. It is a day to remember the sons and daughters, husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, friends and partners who never came home.
At the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders, remembrance is not limited to one day each year. Our mission is built on honoring the sacrifices of those who gave their lives in service to others and ensuring that their families, fellow service members, and first responders are never forgotten.
Throughout May, we shared the stories and sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes from every conflict in our nation’s history. We also remembered those who remain missing in action and the families who continue to wait for answers. Their sacrifices remind us that freedom has always come at a cost.
As we prepare for the 2026 Memorial Ride season, I want to personally thank each of our members, riders, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters. Because of your dedication, we continue to honor the fallen, preserve memorials, support survivors, and provide assistance to those facing hardship.
The Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders has always been about more than a motorcycle ride. It is about bringing people together in remembrance, healing, and service. We have heard from first responders, veterans, and surviving family members who have told us that participating in our rides helped them feel connected, supported, and remembered. Those stories remind us why this mission matters.
As we move forward into another year of honoring Arizona’s heroes, I invite you to stand with us. Whether you ride a motorcycle, drive a passenger vehicle, volunteer your time, support our programs, or simply help share our mission, you are helping ensure that sacrifice is never forgotten.
Thank you for being part of this mission.
Together, we stand for the fallen, support the living, and honor their legacy.
Respectfully,
Terry Johnson
President & Co-Founder
Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders
Memorial Day: Remembering the Fallen
Memorial Day is often considered the unofficial beginning of summer, a time for family gatherings, backyard barbecues, and long weekends. Yet the true purpose of Memorial Day is far more profound. It is a day set aside to honor the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to our nation.
For more than 250 years, Americans have answered the call to serve. From the Revolutionary War to today’s conflicts, generations of service members have stepped forward knowing that freedom is never free. Thousands never returned home. Their sacrifice secured the liberties we enjoy today and preserved the values upon which our nation was founded.
Memorial Day is also a day to remember the families whose lives were forever changed by a knock on the door, a visit from military representatives, or the news that a loved one would not be coming home. Behind every name engraved on a memorial is a family that continues to carry that loss long after the headlines fade.
This year, the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders paid special tribute to America’s fallen heroes from every conflict in our nation’s history. We also remembered the thousands of service members who remain listed as Missing in Action and the families who continue to hope for answers.
As we reflect on Memorial Day, we encourage everyone to take a moment to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the families they left behind. Their service, their sacrifice, and their legacy deserve more than a single day of remembrance. They deserve a nation committed to never forgetting.
The Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders remains dedicated to ensuring that the stories of our fallen heroes continue to be told and that those left standing know they are not alone.
Because the price of freedom has always been paid by someone else’s son or daughter.
Why We Ride
To many people, the Arizona Memorial Rides may appear to be a gathering of motorcycles traveling across Arizona in honor of our fallen heroes. While the rides are certainly a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, they have become something much more.
Over the years, we have heard from first responders, veterans, active-duty military personnel, and surviving family members who have shared the impact these rides have had on their lives. Many have told us that spending time with others who understand service, sacrifice, and loss helped them more than they ever expected.
Several first responders and veterans have shared that participating in the rides provided a sense of connection and healing that they had been unable to find elsewhere. The opportunity to stand beside others who understand the challenges of service, loss, and life after tragedy has created lasting bonds and meaningful support networks.
Perhaps most powerful are the words we hear from surviving family members. Time and again, spouses, parents, children, siblings, and friends of the fallen have told us that seeing our riders gather to honor their loved one reminds them that they have not been forgotten. Knowing that others still speak their hero’s name, share their story, and remember their sacrifice provides comfort that extends far beyond the day of the ride.
That is why we ride.
We ride to honor those who can no longer ride beside us.
We ride to remember the heroes whose service ended too soon.
We ride to support the families who continue carrying their loss.
We ride to bring together veterans, first responders, active-duty military personnel, survivors, and supporters who understand that remembrance is not a one-day event.
Most importantly, we ride because the mission does not end with the funeral. It continues in those left standing.
As registration continues for the 2026 Arizona Memorial Rides, we invite you to join us. Whether you ride a motorcycle, drive a passenger vehicle, volunteer, or support the mission in another way, you become part of a community dedicated to ensuring that sacrifice is never forgotten.
Together, we honor the fallen, support the living, and preserve their legacy for future generations.
Supporting the Living: Assistance in Action
One of the guiding principles of the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders is that our mission does not end with remembrance alone. While we remain committed to honoring the fallen, we are equally committed to supporting those who continue to serve and those facing unexpected hardships.
During May, AZFHMR was able to provide financial assistance to a firefighter facing a significant vehicle repair expense. Reliable transportation is often something many of us take for granted, but for those facing financial hardship, a major repair can quickly become a crisis affecting work, family responsibilities, medical appointments, and everyday necessities.
The total repair costs exceeded $5,000. Through the generosity of our members, riders, sponsors, and supporters, AZFHMR provided $1,000 in direct assistance to help offset the cost of those repairs and assist the firefighter during a difficult time.
While every situation is unique, this assistance reflects the broader purpose of our growing support programs. Whether helping a first responder, veteran, active-duty service member, survivor, or family member facing hardship, our goal is to provide meaningful assistance when it is needed most.
As our organization continues to grow, so does our ability to serve. Every registration, membership, sponsorship, donation, and fundraising effort helps make these acts of support possible.
Honoring the fallen will always remain at the heart of our mission. Supporting the living is one of the ways we carry that mission forward.
Because service to others does not end when the ceremony is over. It continues through the actions we take to care for one another.
Growing the Mission
The Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders continues to grow because of the incredible support of our members, volunteers, riders, sponsors, and community partners who believe in our mission.
This month, we celebrated an exciting milestone as our Facebook community surpassed 3,100 followers. While the number itself is significant, what it truly represents is a growing network of people committed to honoring the fallen, supporting the living, and ensuring that sacrifice is never forgotten.
As awareness of our mission continues to expand, so does our ability to reach those who may need support, connect with surviving families, preserve memorials, and bring communities together through our memorial rides and outreach programs.
We are also grateful for the businesses, organizations, and individuals who continue to stand beside us through sponsorships, donations, and volunteer service. Their generosity allows us to expand our programs, provide direct assistance, maintain memorial sites, and continue building a lasting legacy of remembrance and support.
Every person who follows our social media pages, shares a post, attends an event, volunteers their time, becomes a member, or makes a donation helps strengthen this mission. Together, those individual acts create a powerful impact that reaches far beyond a single ride or event.
As we look ahead to the 2026 Memorial Ride season, we are encouraged by the continued growth of our organization and the community that surrounds it. The mission remains the same, but our ability to serve continues to expand because of the people who choose to stand with us.
Thank you for helping us grow the mission and ensuring that Arizona’s fallen heroes and their families are never forgotten.
Sponsor Spotlight
The Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the businesses, organizations, and individuals who continue to support our mission through their generosity and commitment to our cause.
Arch Angel Sponsors
Swift Charities
We are honored to welcome back Swift Charities as an Arch Angel Sponsor. Their support helps us continue honoring Arizona’s fallen heroes while expanding programs that provide assistance to first responders, veterans, active-duty military personnel, survivors, and their families. Partnerships like these allow us to turn remembrance into action and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.
Electrical Rehab
We would also like to thank Electrical Rehab for becoming an Arch Angel Sponsor. Their commitment to supporting the mission of the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders helps ensure that we can continue preserving memorials, supporting families, providing assistance during times of hardship, and carrying forward the legacy of Arizona’s fallen heroes.
Guardian Angel Sponsor Recognition
Friendly Automotive Service & Repair
We would like to recognize Friendly Automotive Service & Repair for their continued support as a Guardian Angel Sponsor. As a longtime supporter of the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders, their commitment to our mission has helped us honor the fallen, support the living, and serve those who have sacrificed for our communities and our nation.
We are especially grateful for sponsors who stand beside us year after year. Their ongoing partnership provides stability, strengthens our programs, and helps ensure that we can continue making a positive impact in the lives of first responders, veterans, active-duty military personnel, survivors, and their families.
Thank You to All of Our Supporters
Every sponsor, donor, member, volunteer, and rider plays an important role in our success. Whether through financial support, donated services, volunteer hours, or simply helping share our message, your contributions make our mission possible.
The impact of your support extends far beyond our memorial rides. It helps preserve the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice while providing hope, assistance, and encouragement to those who continue carrying that loss.
On behalf of the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders and the families we serve, thank you for standing with us.
Together, we honor the fallen, support the living, and ensure their legacy lives on.
2026 Memorial Ride Registration
Registration is now open for the 2026 Arizona Memorial Rides, and we invite you to join us as we honor Arizona’s fallen first responders and military heroes while celebrating 250 years of American freedom.
One registration covers all three memorial rides and all three memorial barbecues, allowing participants to join us throughout the season as we travel across Arizona in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
2026 Memorial Ride Schedule
Northern Arizona Memorial Ride
September 12, 2026
Southern Arizona Memorial Ride
October 3, 2026
Central Arizona Memorial Ride
November 7, 2026
Whether you ride a motorcycle, drive a passenger vehicle, volunteer, or simply stand beside the mission, there is a place for you in these events. The Arizona Memorial Rides are about more than the miles traveled. They are about honoring heroes, supporting survivors, strengthening communities, and ensuring that sacrifice is never forgotten.
Important Shirt Order Deadline
To help us accurately order and distribute event shirts, all registrations requiring a rider shirt must be completed by August 1, 2026. Registrations received after August 1 are welcome to participate in the rides; however, rider shirts cannot be guaranteed.
Why Register Early?
Early registration helps our volunteers and coordinators prepare route logistics, meal planning, memorial materials, rider packets, and event support resources. It also ensures participants receive timely updates and important information leading up to each ride.
Every registration directly supports the mission of the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders and helps us continue honoring the fallen, supporting the living, preserving memorials, and providing assistance to those in need.
We hope you will join us this year as we ride, drive, volunteer, and stand together in remembrance.
Because heroes are only forgotten when we stop speaking their names.
Closing Thoughts
As we close another month, we are reminded that the mission of the Arizona Fallen Hero Memorial Riders is built upon three simple but powerful commitments: to honor the fallen, support the living, and preserve their legacy.
Every memorial we visit, every story we share, every mile we travel, and every act of assistance provided is made possible by people who believe that sacrifice should never be forgotten. Whether you are a rider, volunteer, member, sponsor, donor, survivor, veteran, first responder, or supporter, you are an important part of that mission.
The heroes we honor came from every walk of life. They wore different uniforms, served in different places, and answered different calls. What they shared was a willingness to place the needs of others before their own. Their courage, dedication, and sacrifice continue to inspire the work we do today.
As we look ahead to the 2026 Memorial Ride season, we invite you to stand with us. Join us in remembering those who never came home, supporting those who continue to carry the burden of loss, and ensuring future generations understand the price that has been paid for the freedoms and communities we enjoy today.
Thank you for your continued support, your dedication, and your belief in this mission.
Together, we will continue to stand for the fallen, support the living, and honor their legacy.