Community event to raise funds for Gold Star memorial

Area residents will get a chance to help raise funds for the Gold Star Memorial planned for Mantorville the Steel Horse Militia, along with Kasson American Legion Post 333, sponsors a special day of activities on Saturday, July 24.
Steel Horse Militia is a non-profit organization that does charity work, helps veterans and supports the Second Amendment, said Travis Bretzman of Mantorville who is secretary of the organization.
Members of the three-year-old group combine their love of motorcycles with helping veterans, he said.
The group, he said, was approached by Post 333 to host the Soldiers Rock Kasson fundraising event. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Gold Star Memorial.
The daylong event gets under way at 11 a.m. on Main Street in front of the American Legion Post with a Steel Horse Militia motorcycle ride the first event. No pre-registration is required for the ride, Bretzman said, with riders signing up Saturday morning. The American Legion Color Guard will present the colors at 11:30 a.m. with the ride beginning immediately after. Riders will travel to the Veterans Cemetery in Preston and then return to Kasson.
There will be food trucks at the location all day including Taco Lab and Don’s Crumbled Meats. There will also be a Hero’s Wall set up where people can bring a picture of their hero, anyone who has served in the military, and place it on the wall.
At 6 p.m. there will be a silent auction/raffle. Among the items will be a shotgun, donated by B & L Guns in Dodge Center, and a firepit donated by X Steel Target, also in Dodge Center.
A Bloody Mary Bar is scheduled at the Legion and Steel Horse Militia plans to reveal a new beer, Steel Horse Brew SRK Salute, brewed by Chaotic Brewing in Kasson.
Lost Faculties will take the stage from 7 to 11 p.m. with live music.
The group, Bretzman said, is organized as a 501c3 non-profit organization for the purpose of supporting veterans. They have a big following in the bike community, he said, adding that currently none of the members are veterans themselves. Soldiers Rock Kasson, he said, is the first event that Steel Horse Militia has served as the event promoter although they hope to do more promotions in the future.
Soldiers Rock Kasson gets its name from the nearly 10-ft. boulder outside of Legion Post 333’s hall that was transformed by an Iowa artist into a tribute to veterans.