A mighty rumble could be heard echoing off the walls of Minuteman Harley Davidson on Route 6 as nearly 150 motorcycles emerged from the back parking lot to begin a 43-mile ride around Dartmouth.

Proceeds from the event support Home For Our Troops, a nonprofit that builds adaptive housing for wounded war veterans. Last year marked the first year that Minuteman Harley Owners Group hosted the motorcycle ride through Dartmouth.

“The mission of Home For Our Troops is to build a mortgage-free, specially adapted homes,” said Jim Picanzo, event coordinator. “They do this nationwide for severely injured veterans that have come back from war post-2001.”

“Most of these veterans have multiple amputations and partial paralysis. The homes they build restores their freedom. It frees them of the burden of a mortgage. They’re adapted to make their lives simpler,” he said.

Picanzo said that the nonprofit group has built 190 homes nationwide. He said that, last year, the event brought in nearly $10,000 for the nonprofit. This year, all the money will go toward a project in the works in New Bedford. The exact dollar amount from this year's ride will be determined in about a week.

Before the bikes headed out, Eric Lekberg and nine others from the Merrimack Valley Chapter, donated $500 to the Dartmouth chapter.

“We have a couple charities that we support, and we work a couple venues to get money. One is our grill, and we probably do it once every three weeks,” said Lekberg.

“We put out a tip jar. It’s free food, but some people will throw $5 or $20 in there for a hamburger. At the end of the weekend, suddenly we have four or five hundred dollars,” he said.

Lekberg said that, near the end of the year, his chapter looks at their funds and determines what charities the money will go toward. He said the charities that his chapter supports benefit children, and his group had interest in sharing their spare donations with a different kind of cause.

Gloomy clouds overhead didn’t deter the bikers, and at 11:30 a.m., Officer Steve Canario of the Dartmouth Police and Officer Hank Turgeon of New Bedford Police escorted the riders from Route 6 to the backroads of Dartmouth.

“I’ve never ridden in a huge group like this before. It’s amazing,” said Anthony Perry, a first-time participant. “You look in front of you, you see bikes. You look behind you, there’s nothing but more bikes.”

“I felt safer riding with these guys than I do my friends,” he added.

“It was very good. Basically, it takes you on a tour of Dartmouth,” said Thomas Nicholson, a member of the Minuteman Dartmouth chapter.

“A lot of the groups that come here are not from the area, so the way that the route was designed is to give you a good sense of what Dartmouth is like. Farming, waterfront…they give you a sense of what the town has to offer,” he said.