MARSHALL — The public is invited to a Blessing of the Bikes event scheduled at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Lake Shetek Lutheran Bible Camp.

Sillerud Lutheran Church in rural Balaton is partnering with Lake Shetek Lutheran Ministries to host the no-cost event, which allows people to participate in a variety of ways.

“People can meet at Sillerud for the 11:30 a.m. meal that is provided or they can come straight out to Shetek,” the Rev. Daryl Thul of Sillerud said. “Or people can come to the 10:30 a.m. worship service, eat lunch and then take off for Shetek. It’s open to anybody who wants to be part of it.”

Thul noted that the target audience was motorcyclists, but anyone interested in participating is encouraged to attend.

“People can drive their cars there or just bring their bicycles over to be blessed,” he said. “It’s quite a distance (from Sillerud to Shetek), so you’re probably not going to ride your bicycle that far. But people can bring their bikes and bike around at Shetek. They’re excited to host it.”

The Blessing of the Bikes started out a couple of years ago, after the death of Sillerud member Roman Wieme in 2012. After doing a memorial ride in Wieme’s honor for a few years, the decision was made to open the event up to more people.

“It’s a time to remember Roman and to bless people,” Thul said. “We certainly have a number of things we can give thanks for, including what’s happening with Bruce Garrels getting a new kidney and Dustin Garrels donating his kidney. There are definitely blessings that have happened.”

Thul anticipates a fun-filled day, noting that the wonderfully-free feeling of being on a motorcycle coupled with building connections and sharing the love would make for an exhilarating experience.