ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Motorcyclists from the Rochester area will join hundreds in a ride honoring the first responders that helped save lives after the September 11, 2001, attack as part of America's 9/11 Foundation.
America’s 9/11 Foundation raises money for scholarships to go to children of first responders.
They will head to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Thursday, then to the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., and finally to the World Trade Center in New York City.
The trip begins at the 7-Eleven at the intersection of East River Road and Erie Station Road. Forty motorcyclists from the Rochester area will be joining about 400 from around the country to honor first responders.
Jeff Krywy, the ride's local organizer, was one of those first responders from Monroe County who went to help in New York City after the September 11 attacks. He says the main goal of this ride is to never forget what happened on that day 20 years ago and those who served.
“They got talking and said, 'hey, this is something we should do every year.' It’s important that people remember," Krywy said. "It’s important that we memorialize those who were killed that day and are still sick and dying from illness contracted specifically from working at the World Trade Center."
Krywy says what’s happening now in Afghanistan with the Taliban taking over provides how important it is to remember the events of 9/11.
"It was the right thing to do," he said. "The department reached out to the counties and the counties reached out to the agencies and said they were looking out for personnel and equipment and the right thing to do was to step up and respond."
Krywy says he has never seen so many military personnel patrolling there before, but says a positive out of his time in New York City after the attacks was the number of people who showed their support to first responders with signs on the side of the road.
He gets to see some of that again as they ride through towns on their way to Shanksville, the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.