A group of about 85 bicycle riders made their way through the area Wednesday on a ride to remember EMS workers who have given their lives in service.

The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride stopped for lunch, and some much-needed shade, at Blue Mountain Health System's Palmerton Campus Wednesday afternoon, before continuing south on the D&L Trail.The group is riding from Boston to Washington, specifically to honor a group of 51 EMS personnel who died in the past two years. That includes Samantha Agins, a Tobyhanna EMT who in 2015 died after performing CPR on a woman.The ride also coincides with the beginning of National EMS Week, which runs from May 21-27.They've climbed thousands of feet in elevation, been through rain and cold as well as nearly 90-degree heat on Thursday. Doug Wolfberg of Harrisburg, who has ridden three times, said that he's motivated by the EMS workers he's riding for."Every time you turn a corner and look straight up, and say 'Oh, I have to go up that,' that's the part you dread the most," he said. "But you remember why you do it, and it gets a little flatter when you think about why you're riding."The riders have a small contingency of support personnel who take care of mechanical repairs, the occasional medical emergency, and setting up checkpoints along the way. Trish Jubinville, a spokeswoman for the ride, said that the riders only have to worry about riding."They're focused on the task at hand, which is honoring EMTs and paramedics who were killed in the line of duty, or who died and made significant contributions to their communities," she said.Along the way, they remember their lost colleagues with memorial services, and by wearing dog tags bearing their names.In the four days since they started their ride, the riders have seen cold and wet conditions, as well as Wednesday's unseasonably warm temperatures.A dietitian at the Palmerton campus prepared a menu for the group that was aimed at keeping them fueled and avoiding leg cramps - turkey sandwiches on whole wheat, clementines, bananas and carrots."We're a community-based hospital and that's what we're here to do," said Kristin Melnick, director of nutritional and environmental services.The group continued on to Slatington Fire Company, where they found some shade and water before heading south toward Route 100, and eventually to Reading on Wednesday night.They'll be thinking about the 51 lost colleagues they're remembering, and all those who answer the call as part of the EMS."Keeping them safe is a key part of the job. We think about it every day, and we don't want anybody to end up on this list," Wolfberg said.