Ride of remembrance

Most people don’t bike 343 miles in an entire lifetime. East Meadow resident Greg Gatto plans on doing that in just five days. Gatto and about 40 of his New York Fire Department comrades are preparing to ride exactly 343 miles, from Montauk to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. — one mile for each FDNY firefighter who died in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

“I’m a little nervous, but excited and happy,” Gatto said of the expedition. “I can’t wait for it to be here.” He was grateful, he said, for the opportunity to ride alongside other representatives of New York’s bravest.

The firefighters were scheduled to embark on their journey on Tuesday. After riding from Montauk to Westbury on Day One, they planned to stop at the World Trade Center on Day Two for a memorial dedication. Other stops were planned for Tom’s River, N.J., Rehoboth Beach, Del., and Annapolis, Md., before the group’s scheduled arrival at the Pentagon on Sept. 11.

The ride, titled the FDNY 343 Ride, is also a charity event to benefit severely wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the beneficiaries is Lance Corporal Colin Pascik, a 21-year-old Marine from Monroe, N.J., whose legs were amputated last year after he was caught in an explosion in Afghanistan. Gatto said that he and his comrades have raised around $60,000, but their goal is $100,000. Those who wish to donate can find more information at www.FDNY343Ride.com.

“Hopefully we can generate some more money for these troops who desperately need it,” Gatto said.

As for his training, Gatto said he has been riding his Trek 5500 at least three times a week, and he tried to train with others who took part in the ride as often as possible. He spent Labor Day at home in East Meadow with his wife, Barbara, and their two daughters before taking off on his very long ride.