TRAER — Next weekend, Jan. 16-17, the trails in and around Namakagon (Namekagon) Lake in northwestern Wisconsin near the town of Cable will echo once again with the sound of the late Ryan “Lil Coop” Cooper’s snowmobile as Aaron Cooper takes the helm of his older brother’s beloved sled during Coop’s Ride 5.0.

“There’s a lot to celebrate, and there’s a lot to remember. Most importantly, we take this time to remember Ryan – who he was, what he loved, and the legacy that continues through this ride,” organizer Carmen Erhardt of Traer wrote on social media last month in announcing the fifth annual ride. “We’re doing it up big, just like year one.”

Carmen along with her husband, Jamie Erhardt organized the first Coop’s Ride back in January 2022 following the death of their friend, farmer and rural Traer resident Ryan Cooper who, at the age of 42, was murdered by his wife and her lover in the early morning hours of June 18, 2021. As the result of a first-degree murder conviction and a subsequent plea of guilty by the respective defendants last summer, both are now spending the rest of their lives behind bars with no possibility of parole.

In a phone call with the newspaper earlier this month, Carmen said the idea for Coop’s Ride originated with the owners of Staudemeyer’s Four Seasons Resort, Amanda and Brandon, who knew Ryan and his family well as the Coopers made annual visits to the resort located on the shores of Namakagon Lake where the Erhardts also have a cabin. The area is part of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest and is particularly popular with snowmobilers.

“Ryan was [an avid snowmobiler],” Carmen explained. “Together, we’ve always come up here to Lake Namakagon and stayed. … Always over Christmas break. … They brought the kids up here to [Staudemeyer’s Four Seasons Resort] in the summer, too, and this area is just something that Ryan loved.”

Money raised from that first year’s ride in 2022 was tucked away, Carmen said, with the idea that it would one day fund a trust for Ryan’s children.

“We locked that up [the first year]. We had the intention (for it) to go to the kids.”

As part of the annual two-day event, participants pick up an open card from the resort ahead of the ride before spending Friday and Saturday enjoying the nearby recreation trails in honor of Ryan and visiting participating businesses for a stamp. The card is then returned to the resort for a chance to win a drawing. In addition to the ride, the first year also featured a celebration back at the resort – complete with a tent, band, and auction items. During the in-between years, the ride was still held, Carmen said, but it was more low-key.

“It was just the ride – you would just go to the businesses. Money was raised but we kind of put that back into this area during those years.”

But this year, the ride is returning to its roots.

“We’re doing another big one,” Carmen explained. “A big tent. The band. We will have silent and live auctions items. A lot of the businesses around here, the people knew Ryan and they donated items. It’s been a thing for the community as well. They’ve had a couple of rough winters up here [with reduced snowpack].”

As part of Carmen’s social media post last month announcing Coop’s Ride 5.0 — which is being organized by the Erhardts, Aaron Cooper, and Michelle Cooper Wilson (Ryan and Aaron’s sister) — she shared publicly for the first time details surrounding the event’s fundraising.

“With the Cooper family’s permission and blessing, we want to share something important,” she wrote. “The first Coop’s Ride raised a significant amount of money. For legal reasons, those funds were placed in an account and remained untouched until all court proceedings were finalized. That money – along with funds raised at this ride and future rides – will go into the same account and will ultimately be split among Ryan’s four children. Final details on how that will be distributed are still being completed.”

She further stated a portion of the funds will also be used to create a scholarship for North Tama students choosing to pursue higher education in the field of agriculture as Ryan was both a lifelong farmer and North Tama Class of 1998 graduate.

While Carmen declined to disclose to the newspaper the total amount of money Coop’s Ride has raised through the years, she did characterize the amount as “a lot.”

In terms of how many folks she’s expecting to participate in Coop’s Ride 5.0, Carmen said between 200-300 people from the Traer area alone.

“We usually do 100-some cards. But with the snow so good (this year), we’ll need more.”

When asked how it feels to hold the ride in the wake of last summer’s murder trials, Carmen struggled to find the proper words.

“It’s finally where Jamie and I do not have to keep our mouths shut. … [It’s] closure. I thought I’d have a little bit more relief but … It is closure. … You know, us, the things we knew [prior to the arrests and subsequent trials] and could never say…[The trial] is no longer hanging over us. It will be more of a celebration [this year].”

In an NBC News/Dateline package shared on the Coop’s Ride Facebook page last month, Aaron’s wife Heather Cooper described her brother-in-law as “a great friend, a great dad, a great husband.”

“[Ryan] would have given you the shirt off of his back to help you in any situation,” she continued. “He would be so proud of his children. They’re great little people, and they have a drive just like him. And they will definitely carry on his legacy in the best light.”

During that same clip, Jamie Erhardt described his friend as “the nicest guy you’ll ever meet,” – someone who would “do anything for you.”

To end her post announcing the 2026 ride, Carmen wrote, “Thank you for standing with us, remembering Ryan, and continuing to show up – for him and for his kids. … It’s about honoring his memory, celebrating his life, and making sure he’s never forgotten.”

Those who cannot make the trip to Namakagon Lake can still donate to Coop’s Ride 5.0, either through Venmo (@Coops-Ride1979) or by mailing/dropping off a check at Farmers Savings Bank & Trust, 611 2nd St., Traer, IA 50675.