Seaford cyclist remembers 9/11 victims

Michele’s Ride to Remember began as Michele Walsh Myers’ way of remembering her two former classmates and three other Seaford High School graduates who were killed during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

It’s turned into an annual cross state bike trip not only honoring those five who perished, but also the first responders who continue to serve in the community, according to the event’s website.

This year’s ride was supposed to end at the 9/11 Memorial at Seaford High School in Seaford on Saturday, August 11. But the last day of the ride had to be canceled due to rain.

The $800 raised during the ride will go towards the FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation, which assists the families of firefighters in transporting firefighters, family members and department personnel to and from medical institutions both for care and family support.

The cyclists enjoyed a celebration at the end of the trip at Mulcahy’s Pub on Railroad Avenue in Wantagh this past weekend.

The Ride to Remember started at the WNY Iraq/ Afghanistan Memorial in Naval Park in Buffalo at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 4nto honor the 72 military men and women from Western New York who continue to defend the country since the war on terrorism began, according to a media release.

The bikers traveled from Buffalo to the 9/11 Memorial in Brockport, and ended their second day of riding at the Spencerport Fire Department in Waterloo. The next few days led the cyclists from the fire department to Cortland, traveling across Cooperstown, the Catskills, and Fishkill. The ride concluded at Randall’s Island in New York City, due to rain.

The 343 miles covered on the second portion of the journey equate to: “one mile for each FDNY killed” in the attacks on the World Trade Center, Myers said.