This Saturday at the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park & Heritage Center in Hopkinsville, the “Remember the Removal” Bike Ride will pass through around 10 AM.
Started by the Cherokee Nation in 1984, the run was created for Cherokee youth to retrace the Trail of Tears — and get a glimpse of the hardships their ancestors faced when they made the same trek on foot.
This year, five cyclists from the Cherokee Nation will participate in the ride, retracing an estimated 950 miles along the northern route of the Trail of Tears by bicycle.
The riders will arrive at Trail of Tears Commemorative Park this Saturday for a short pit stop before their journey to Princeton and beyond, and visitors are encouraged to come in support.
The ride became an annual event starting in 2009 and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians joined the ride in 2011. Today, the riders are selected based on an interview process. The awarded riders then complete a physical test and train for six months.
Trail of Tears Commemorative Park is located at 100 Trail of Tears Drive.
More information about the ride can be found at https://www.facebook.com/removal.ride/.
