Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — The School of Leadership Studies and HandsOn Kansas State at Kansas State University are sponsoring two Manhattan campus events to remember 9/11 and honor the country's veterans.

The commemoration will include the university's annual Day of Service on Saturday, Sept. 13, as well as a new event: an American Legion Remembrance Ride through campus on Thursday, Sept. 11. The campus community is invited to support the American Legion Riders as they travel through the Manhattan campus by motorcycle to view the university's war memorials.

HandsOn Kansas State is collaborating with Manhattan's American Legion Post No.17 for the Remembrance Ride. American Legion Riders are motorcycle enthusiasts and an American Legion subset known for charitable work. Riders from the Manhattan and Junction City area will participate in the Sept. 11 event.

On Sept. 11, nearly 20 American Legion Riders will meet at the American Legion Post in Ogden at 9:15 a.m. They will travel to Fort Riley to participate in the 9/11 ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Fort Riley Global War on Terrorism Monument on the U.S. Cavalry Parade Field.

The legion riders then will travel to Manhattan for the Remembrance Ride through campus. The riders will arrive between 11:30 a.m. to noon and will view three university war memorials: Memorial Stadium, the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Afterward, the riders will travel to the Campus Creek Amphitheater for a noon recognition ceremony sponsored by Phillips 66. Phillips 66 has been dedicated to improving the lives of military families through education and employment, said Lynda Bachelor, project coordinator in the School of Leadership Studies.

Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are invited to line the sidewalks and recognize the American Legion Riders as they travel through campus, Bachelor said. A map of the route is available at https://goo.gl/maps/hVaF0.

The Remembrance Ride also supports the continued education of children who have lost a parent in the U.S. armed forces after 9/11. The ride increases awareness of the American Legion's Legacy Scholarship program, which assists family members who want to attend college or seek other post-secondary education, Bachelor said.

"This event highlights the American Legion's dedication to the education of people of all ages," Bachelor said. "Sept. 11 has made a big difference in our lives, including the lives of our college students. The Remembrance Ride brings to life the connection between Sept. 11 and those veterans and their families who have made sacrifices."

The university's Day of Service, from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 13, will bring together campus and community volunteers to remember the victims of 9/11 and their families. Throughout the day, volunteers will perform good deeds to honor the firefighters, paramedics, public safety officers, rescue workers, volunteers and those who served in the armed forces post-9/11.

Volunteers will meet at the Campus Creek Amphitheater and then work at sites throughout the community.

HandsOn Kansas State, which promotes civic learning and leadership through service opportunities, is sponsoring the event.

More information, including volunteer registration, is available at http://bit.ly/HOKS_signup.

For more information about the event, contact HandsOn Kansas State at 785-532-3670 or handson@k-state.edu.