ARUNDEL — It wasn’t the best weather for a motorcycle ride. Sunday morning dawned raw, cold and wet, and even though the showers let up a bit toward noon, sunshine remained stubbornly elusive.

The 400 or so motorcyclists who turned out for the Spring Ride for the Troops weren’t thinking about the weather, though. They were thinking about veterans and those still in military service or who are first responders ”“ those who answer the call of duty every day, fair skies or foul.

The ride, an annual event by the Patriot Riders of America, Maine Chapter 1, commenced at the American Legion Post in York and wound through several southern and central York County towns on a circuitous route, finishing up with a ceremony at Bentley’s Saloon in Arundel. Riders said along the way, there were folks out on their lawns and at the roadsides, waving the stars and stripes, and in a couple of locations, local fire departments formed arches with their ladder trucks, with the flag suspended in the middle so the bikes, military vehicles and law enforcement escorts could pass underneath.

Proceeds from the event go to hands-on, practical assistance to veterans and first responders in need. That can mean a wheelchair ramp for someone who needs one, filling a heating oil tank, helping fill a cupboard with food or pitching in to help roof a house, participants said.

“It’s our way of giving back,” said Maine Chapter 1 Patriot Riders President Paul Thain Jr.

Some riders were thinking of their brother or uncle, or their daughter or son. Others, like Mike Wiggins of Wells, carried engraved stones bearing the initials of a Maine service member who died in the line of duty. Wiggins didn’t know U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dale Kelly, the Richmond man attached to the 172nd Infantry, Maine Army National Guard unit based in Brewer, who died May 6, 2006 when a roadside bomb detonated near his cargo truck in Iraq. But as he placed the stone on the makeshift outdoor stage at Bentley’s, Wiggins was solemn. A Patriot Rider, Wiggins said he’ll escort a memorial stone like Kelly’s to a location near Mount Katahdin, where hikers will carry the stones up to the peak on Memorial Day, in an event called the Summit Project.

Wiggins said one of the prerequisites to carry a memorial stone is to learn about the veteran whose initials are inscribed, and who gave their life fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Maine first lady Ann LePage, who was a passenger of U.S. Navy Petty Officer Tim Riegel of Buxton for the ride from York to Arundel, spoke about the Summit Project and about the Spring Ride for the Troops, and some other efforts to show respect and support for veterans and first responders.

“Thank you for making this event such a success,” a smiling LePage said to applause and roars of approval from the crowd.

LePage is no stranger to veterans’ causes and motorcycle rides supporting them. In December, she was a motorcycle passenger with the Patriot Riders as they helped escort the Wreaths Across America entourage from Maine to Virginia, riding, she said, all but 100 miles.

In addition to her support of veterans and those on active military duty, she urged support for first responders.

“This country was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001,” LePage said. “America lost 2,977 people that day, and 441 of them were first responders.”

“This is a great turnout and a good cause, and it’s great to have the first lady here today,” said Thain of the event.

He’s not a veteran himself, but said his daughter is, having recently completed a hitch in the U.S. Coast Guard. Plus, he said, he’s always been patriotic.

It was that kind of a day ”“ flags waving, the honor guard put on by Biddeford AMVETS Post 1, and the attendance by the state AMVETS Commander Jim Laflin, the first lady and others. Among them were Commanding Officer Bret Grabbe and Chief of the Boat Rodney Langley, of the USS Alexandria, in port at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, where the submarine is undergoing an overhaul. And, of course, the bikers, and those who helped organize the ride, like Diana Baker of Wells, who helped people register for the ride in York earlier in the morning.

“It’s for the vets,” said Baker, whose husband is a Vietnam War veteran. “Anything for the vets and first responders.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.