BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — From Blue Springs to Kansas City, Missouri, driving by Station 42, almost 400 motorcyclists rode 49 miles on Saturday morning to honor fallen KCFD paramedic firefighter Graham Hoffman.
“I know he's watching over us,” Graham’s brother, Nolan Hoffman, said. “We’ve had a lot of sad times.”
Nolan says it's been a bumpy road for the Hoffmans.
In April, he lost his brother. Graham Hoffman was stabbed by a woman his crew was taking to a hospital.
Now, the family is navigating new paths through grief.
“Trying to hold back the tears, you know, keeping it a little dry and focusing on having some fun, putting smiles on some faces,” Nolan Hoffman said.
Family, friends, and coworkers joined hundreds of motorcyclists on the road—a route filled with memories.
“Just a good, genuine person. Somebody who truly cared about what he did and cared about other people,” KCFD Battalion Chief Riley Nolan. said.
They crossed paths with many who, although they didn’t know Hoffman personally, were inspired to pay tribute to him.
“They’re there for us 24/7, so when times get tough, we should be there for them,” Motorcyclist Joe Gadwood said.
Being there, in this case, also meant supporting the HeroFundUSA Graham Hoffman Memorial Scholarship. This fund will help support the next generation of first responders in Graham's honor.
"It's such an honor to be able to pay our respects and memorialize this wonderful young firefighter," Darrell Smith, CEO at HeroFundUSA, said.
“They need lots of support and backup. Not only them, but their families, too,” Gadwood said.
Support that the Hoffmans are not taking for granted.
“There are no words. I mean, it’s amazing. It’s just absolutely amazing,” Nolan Hoffman said.
A reminder that his legacy is here to stay.
“Be like Graham—go out there and make every day your best,” Riley Nolan said.
—
KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.
