The veterans waved to riders from the County Road 1 overpass above I-70 at the Tonganoxie/Eudora interchange.

Various agencies also were on hand for the travelers at the Topeka service area on Interstate-70 between Topeka and Lawrence.

Run For The Wall is an organized cross-country motorcycle ride to honor veterans, their families and friends and to raise awareness of those still missing – Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, according to the RFTW website. The ride, or “run” as many motorcyclists call it, starts in Ontario, California, and 10 days later ends at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. There then is a three-day “run” from D.C. to the Middle East Conflicts Wall in Marseilles, Illinois.

The Topeka service area hosted the hundreds of motorcyclists traveling through Kansas from California to Washington D.C. earlier Monday for the annual event.

Riders stopped at the Topeka service areaa nd were welcomed by the Kansas Turnpike Authority, Kansas Highway Patrol, Kansas Department of Transportation, ABATE of Kansas and Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, among others.

KTA donated $500 of fuel and Love’s Travel Stop, a Topeka Service Area partner, donated water to the riders, according ot a KTA release.

The route running through Topeka is one of three different routes that will meet in Arlington, Virginia, and conclude at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., on May 24.