WACO, Texas – It’s Memorial Day, and dozens of Wacoans took a day off school or work to ride for freedom Monday morning.

“Memorial Day is the freedom to come here and ride a bike, to be together and to celebrate freedom,” said David Blake, president of the Waco Bicycle Club.

About 60 to 70 cyclists and mountain bikers gathered in Waco to travel between 30 and 50 miles to celebrate freedom and honor the men and women who died for our country.

“We always want to remember, you know? We have the ability to go out and ride, to do things. All the guys who made these sacrifices want us to enjoy our freedoms. They didn’t do it in vain, you know? They did not lose their lives in vain, ”said Joseph Fraga, former vice-president of the Waco Bicycle Club.

For some, this holiday is a mixture of conflicting emotions.

“It’s a bit of a happy / sad day. Glad I’m not working and everything, but it’s kinda sad when you think about why it’s here and all the people that aren’t there. I… .. I mean, everyone has a family that they lost too, you know? Our freedom at some point. So it’s a happy / sad day. I’m so glad we can celebrate it, ”says mountain biker Marilyn Bounds.

Bounds has been cycling for ten years now. She says her late grandfather served in World War II and that he wanted her to enjoy Memorial Day.

“The people who died for our freedom, they didn’t die so that we could sit down and mop up. So to be happy, but not to forget, ”said Bounds.

Everyone enjoys the freedom to live out one of their most treasured passions.

“Just say ‘thank you’ for serving this country. Some have given their all to enable us to do this, ”added Blake.

The Waco Bicycle Club goes up every week. You can click HERE to learn more about them.