Our Story
On June 18, 2007, nine Charleston, South Carolina firefighters were killed fighting a fire at the Sofa Super Store. Firefighters across the country felt that loss. A year later, a group of firefighters from Naples, Florida set out to show the families of the Charleston 9 that they had not been forgotten. Over nine days they rode their bicycles from Naples, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina, one day for each of the nine fallen heroes.
That ride became the Brotherhood Ride.
The Brotherhood Ride came to Texas in 2010, following the death of Houston Fire Department Captain James Harlow and Firefighter Damion Hobbs, who died fighting a house fire on April 12, 2009.
In 2014, the Texas Brotherhood Ride was born. We honored 19 Texas first responders who lost their lives in 2013, including the firefighters killed in the West fertilizer plant explosion and the four Houston firefighters lost at the Southwest Inn fire. That year, and every ride since, the names of the Texas first responders who died in the line of duty the year before have been carried on the riders' jerseys and to the doorsteps of their families and the streets of the communities they served. The ride grew in 2017 after the July 2016 ambush that killed five officers in Dallas and three in Baton Rouge; riders still wear those eight names today.
Today our riders and support staff come from across Texas and from across the country, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Why We Ride
It has been said that, "every man dies twice: once when he is buried, and again the last time his name is spoken. In this way, some men never die."
The Texas Brotherhood Ride exists so that no man or woman who died in the line of duty will ever be forgotten. So that their lives, legacy and the sacrifice they made will always be remembered, for their families, their coworkers, and the communities they served. For Texas.
Texas Never Forgets.
Our Mission
The mission of the Texas Brotherhood Ride is to remember the lives and legacies of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, so that their names are never forgotten. We do this by providing emotional support to their coworkers and families and by financially supporting their families with the funds we raise. By riding, we bring awareness to their sacrifice, so that every family, friends and coworker know their hero has not been forgotten.
The Texas Brotherhood Ride is made up of active and retired firefighters, police officers and EMS personnel. Just like on the job, we work as a team: riding together, eating together and bunking together along with our support crew.
The Texas Brotherhood Ride is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 47-4499737). Donations support the families we honor and the cost of the ride itself. No one is paid for their time; every rider and support member gives up time with their family and work to take part. In 2025, we delivered $43,300 to families.