Motorcyclists ride for fallen soldiers

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. (WAVY) - About 1,000 motorcyclists gathered in Virginia Beach Saturday morning to honor the 30 servicemen and one military dog who were killed when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan on August 6, 2011.

The event, called the Extortion 17 memorial ride, was named for the operation the servicemen were undertaking when their helicopter was shot down. As well as the ride, the event included live music and was organized to raise money for the 31 Heroes Project.

The mission  of the 31 Heroes Project is to honor the fallen heroes killed in action August 6, 2011 through fitness and to raise funds for programs that provide support to families of all fallen servicemen, according to the organization's website.

"They went over to fight for our freedom and they lost their lives protecting us and making sure we can walk around free.  We're doing everything we can to give back since they lost their loved ones," event organizer Chris McGrath told WAVY.com.

22 locally based Navy SEALs were among those killed in the crash on August 6, 2011.