State Rep. Stephen Exaros recalls son’s death and how Big Nick’s Ride for the Fallen grew into Cape Cod’s largest memorial procession

State Rep. Stephen Exaros described the origins and growth of Big Nick’s Ride for the Fallen, a long-running Cape Cod motorcycle procession that honors service members from the region killed in combat.

Exaros, introduced on the Your Yarmouth podcast as a guest and identified as a state representative and longtime Yarmouth resident, told the host that his son, Nicholas, was critically injured in an explosion on July 23, 2009, and later died. "They told me and... I made like an animal noise," Exaros said, recalling the notification at Yarmouth Police Department. The community’s response and the sight and sound of motorcycles escorting his son’s body inspired friends and local veterans to propose a commemorative ride.

"That’s how Big Nick's Ride started," Exaros said. He credited a longtime friend, Marine and Yarmouth Fire Department dispatcher Ben Perry, with urging him to allow a memorial ride and to say yes even before he could imagine participating. The first ride, held months after the death, drew roughly 300 motorcycles, Exaros said; it has since grown to more than 1,000 bikes in many years and now attracts riders and spectators from across Cape Cod and beyond.

Exaros emphasized the event’s role in supporting Gold Star families and veterans’ services. He said lead vehicles in the procession carry Gold Star families with photos of their loved ones and that the ride’s roughly 35-mile route starts at the Barnstable County sheriff’s office near the National Cemetery and returns to Yarmouth. "We rode up this street... and he went to Nick's grave at the National Cemetery," Exaros said of the quiet, smaller moments at the ride’s close.

The ride is organized by a volunteer nonprofit, Exaros said, naming long-time volunteers Ben Perry, Rick Thompson, Cat Wilson, Dean Melanson, Laurel Bragg and Don Roche and noting a planning group of about 45 people who meet monthly. "We can't do this as a family. It's too much," he said, explaining how the community helps with logistics and emotional support.

Exaros also described ceremony and program details attendees can expect: a half-hour opening ceremony with the national anthem and prayers, a livestream at the start of the ride, and a resource fair at the finish where veterans can connect with local agencies. This year the ride will feature a traveling memorial described by Exaros as a 56-foot “dog tag” American flag made of about 7,000 dog tags coming from Virginia; he said it will be on display at Sea Dog Brew Pub during the weekend.

On event logistics, the podcast host and Exaros recapped that registration opens at 7 a.m., the opening ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m., kickstands go up at 9:45 a.m., and the procession finishes at Sea Dog Brew Pub in South Yarmouth. Exaros said donations support veteran-focused programs and that every penny raised is returned to those services through the ride’s nonprofit structure. The host directed listeners to bignicksride.org for registration, donations and volunteer information.

Exaros framed the ride as both memorial and healing: "It's the power of the motorcycles giving strength to Gold Star families," he said, and urged listeners to "live your dream" in memory of those lost. The podcast closed with well-wishes for the upcoming ride and reminders about streaming and local watch parties.

The event is scheduled for Sunday, July 19; registration and precise logistics were provided on the podcast and on bignicksride.org.