Tour of Honor Recognizes our Veterans and First Responders

2025 will be the 15th year for Tour of Honor, a self-directed motorcycle ride that honors American heroes such as military veterans, first responders and American workers, and takes place from April 1 until October 31.

Tour of Honor was established in 2010 by brothers Steve and Dave Brooks, from Boise, Idaho, to provide motorcyclists with a way to celebrate their love of riding while celebrating their country.

“The mission is to honor American heroes — mostly military Veterans but also First Responders — by visiting sites paying tribute to them,” said Steve Brooks, co-founder of Tour of Honor. “The ride raises money for three charities: Fisher House Foundation, Tunnel to Towers Program for First Responders, and the Gold Star Family Foundation.”

There are roughly 1,000-1,200 participants in TOH annually, and between four and seven memorials are selected per state, including Alaska and Hawaii, to act as participating sites. At each participating site, riders will take a photo of themselves and the memorial to submit to TOH to receive a certificate for visiting the memorials. In 2024, there were over 39,000 submissions.

There are also auxiliary rides such as 9/11 memorials, American Doughboys, War Dogs and K9 hero monuments, Veterans Cemeteries, and Huey helicopters. These change over the years and it’s exciting to see which new ones will be featured.

Rider registration on the website began on December 1 and continues throughout the riding season. The $125 cost includes stickers, patches, laminated rider flag and season-long scoring. $25 off the top goes to the riders’ choice of charities that include Fisher House Foundation, Gold Star Family Memorial Foundation, and Tunnel to Towers First Fourndation for First Responders.

Tour of Honor was recently awarded the American Motorcyclist Association’s “Tour Organizer of the Year.” Many riders call it, “the best excuse to ride I’ve ever had”…. or — because many of the memorials are in small towns off the beaten path — “there are roads I wouldn’t have taken if not for Tour of Honor.” You can find out more at tourofhonor.com