SPARTA, Mich. — The sixth annual Freedom Cruise, which is a 25-mile honor ride, was canceled Sunday because of the wet weather.
In other years, cars and motorcycles ride from Sparta to Fifth Third Ballpark and back again. Last year, about 1,000 vehicles participated in the event.
Even though the cruise was canceled, the portrait presentation was still held at Sparta High School. This year, the parents of Sgt. Chad Vollmer of Grand Rapids received the specially commissioned portrait, which was completed by Jim Tostrud of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Vollmer was killed by an IED explosion in Iraq in 2006. One of his teammates and the lone survivor of the explosion, SFC. Jim Guerrero attended the event Sunday.
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