‘Ride to Heal’: Paramedic rides motorcycle to El Paso memorial with signed flags from 1st responders

After the Aug. 3 deadly mass shooting attack in El Paso, a ‘Ride to Heal’ event has made its way through Texas to honor the El Paso community and first responders.

The seven-day ride covering 2,000 miles made stops in cities like Lubbock, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.

First responders and others in those communities across the state got to sign their names on giant Texas state flags which were taken on motorcycles to El Paso and presented Friday afternoon to local first responders at the makeshift Walmart memorial.

The effort was the work of Michael Gomez, a former paramedic and El Paso native who currently lives in San Antonio. He was a first responder at the Sutherland Springs church shooting in November 2017 where 26 people were killed and 20 more injured.

“This is for us. This is for my brothers and sisters. For those of us who put on a badge, put on a uniform, get out there and we face what other people run from,” he told ABC-7.

Gomez said it’s important for first responders to come together after a tragedy as part of the healing process.