Photo provided to the Times Observer Saturday’s group Jeep ride for “Go Topless Day” raises $1,700 for the Blue Star Mothers of Kinzua and also collected supplies that will be sent to troops. Here, the Jeeps proceed over the Morrison Bridge on Rt. 59.

The recent “Go Topless Day” wasn’t what it sounds like.

What it was, rather, was a group Jeep ride that raised $1,700 for the Blue Star Mothers of Kinzua.

Two Jeep groups — Jeep Wranglers of Warren PA and Enchanted Mountain Jeep Club from Bradford and Olean held the ride May 15.

“The Blue Star Mothers raise money to send packages all over the world to our active troops and also help out local veterans,” Brian Phillips said. “The ride started at Ed Shults of Warren.”

It covered 121 miles through Russell, Allegany State Park in New York State and back through the Allegheny National Forest with a stop at the Kinzua Dam.

“We had a total of 56 Jeep Wranglers and 103 people on the ride,” Phillips said. “We raised $1,700 and received three big totes of goods that they can send in their care packages.”

Go Topless Day? It’s a Jeep thing.

“Go Topless Day is a worldwide tradition for the Jeep community to celebrate the start of Spring by taking off their Jeep tops,” the company’s website explained.

“More than 240 events took place worldwide in 2019.”

Part of the effort includes the company matching $500 if the event raises at least $500, a threshold met easily on Saturday.

“We are extremely thankful for our community and surrounding areas for always supporting our military,” the Blue Star Mothers said in a Facebook post.

“The Blue Star Mothers will be doing a Christmas in July package mailing for our troops,” Phillips said, and will “be sending in the packages over 100 homemade stockings full of goodies.”