Ride is about remembering those who died Sept. 11, 2001
By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — The annual parade of motorcycles participating in the America’s 9/11 Ride passed through downtown Hightstown Saturday afternoon in about 10 minutes, around 2:40 p.m., with horns honking, sirens blaring and cheers from onlookers.
The America’s 9/11 Ride is about remembering the heroes, volunteers and victims who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001 and since.
The annual memorial ride takes place the third weekend in August, respecting each site and the survivors.
”This ride was dedicated to the 417 first responders we lost that day on Sept. 11,” said Roger Flick, promotions manager of America’s 911 Foundation Inc. on Monday.
Co-founder Eric Sjurseth of America’s 911 Foundation Inc. said inspiration came from trying to “get people back to New York.”
”Get people back to New York to show the terrorists that we, the United States of America, will not give in or up on our way of life,” Mr. Sjurseth said in an email Monday. “It was also is to pay respect to everyone who died that day.”
He added, “This event is not done not only to remember Sept. 11, 2001, but for those that keep us safe every day — the fireman, the cop, the EMT, the military. They should be the ones making millions of dollars for what they choose, not baseball, players, etc. The first responders put their lives on the line for us every day and get very little in return.”
The Leesburg-based America’s 911 Foundation hosts the annual ride for one weekend to raise money for the attack’s first responders and their families. It is its biggest fundraiser.
”On Thursday, there were groups from all over the East Coast from Maine to Georgia,” Mr. Flick said.
The group converged on Somerset, Pennsylvania, Thursday afternoon, he said, and started the ride there where Flight 93 crashed. Riders took a tour of the memorial site, left from Highland Harley-Davidson, made their way Friday down through Leesburg, Virginia, and Pemberton, Maryland.
Saturday morning, the riders gathered at the Pentagon where they took a tour, stopped at the Chesapeake House for fuel, stopped at Bob’s Harley Davidson, then headed to Hightstown and onto Linden where they waited for the officials in New York City to close the tunnels.
Sunday morning, there was a small group that went to Fox Studios, then gathered again around 8:30 a.m. at the hotel and went to the World Trade Center Memorial.
”Every year, we give away a police motorcycle (Harley Davidson) to one of the escorting police departments,” Mr. Flick said, adding that the ride is fully escorted by police. “That is basically a thank you to them for coming to escort us because they do this on their own time.”
The foundation also is all volunteers, according to Mr. Flick.
”We all do this out of the goodness of our hearts,” Mr. Flick said.
It was estimated more than 600 riders participated in this year’s ride.
”This year was way below average for the ride,” Mr. Sjurseth said, adding there were roughly 425 civilian riders and 107 police riders with passengers on the bikes bring the total number up to more than 600.
Those numbers may have gone up since many people joined the ride at various stops, he said.
According to Mr. Flick, for its 10th anniversary, 1,800 motorcycles participated.
”We literally spanned the state of Delaware,” Mr. Flick said. “As the first motorcycles were leaving the state of Delaware, the last motorcycles were entering the state of Delaware.”
Mr. Flick attributed the lower registration to a combination of things — the economy as well as the 110th anniversary for Harley Davidson and Sturgis the week before.
”A lot of people that have done our ride truly consider it a bucket list ride,” Mr. Flick said.
Many local fire departments in the area could be seen standing out in front of their stations with apparatus lined up along with members standing at attention as the ride passed by.
”It’s very emotional to go through these small towns,” Mr. Flick said.
”Towns that stand out are Cumberland, Maryland, Leesburg, Virginia, Hightstown, New Jersey, and Linden, New Jersey,” Mr. Sjurseth said. “They stand out because hundred if not thousands of citizens line the route waving flags, saluting us, thanking us for not forgetting Sept. 11, 1001.”
Rider Butch Budai agreed.
”Hightstown is rapidly getting to be a favorite of most of the riders,” said Mr. Budai in an email Monday. “Riders are looking forward to getting there. I would like to thank the Hightstown Fire Department for all their help and being there. Also, a big thanks to Paul Kocher, a Hightstown resident, for all his help.”
According to Mr. Budai, the ride from D.C. to Ground Zero used to be “the longest portion” of the ride, but Hightstown has helped changed that point of view, and now riders look forward to it.
”To be honest, it used to be long and pretty boring,” Mr. Budai said. “Hightstown has changed that for us. There’s a lot of talk about ‘getting to Hightstown.’ After Hightstown, we traveled up to Linden where we have a ceremony.”
He added, “Most of us, including myself, get choked up as we ride. Seeing a 75- to 80-year-old veteran standing in uniform saluting us, active soldiers saluting the ride, the Amish along the ride waving, the flag bridges set up by fire companies along the way, meeting up with many friends we have made over the years.”
Mr. Budai recalled Todd Beamer, who died on Flight 93 and was a customer of Mr. Budai’s in his store, Creative Ceramic Tile in Windsor.
”He was in my store just a few (days) before,” Mr. Budai said. “I recall him telling me about the upcoming trip to San Francisco. My forever memory of him will be him walking out with his boys and saying, “Let’s Roll.”
”We roll for Todd and the other victims,” Mr. Budai said. “Todd was originally from Hightstown and recently had moved to Cranbury. It was important for me to get the ride to travel through Hightstown.”
The ride started in 2001. Mr. Sjurseth and his wife, Lisa, came home from New York City two weeks after the attack and decided to organize a motorcycle ride eight weeks later on Nov. 10, according to Mr. Flick.
”They had gone up there to help dig out Ground Zero,” said Eric Sjurseth, his brother and co-founder of ‘s 911 Foundation Inc. “However, they were politely told it’s a New York thing and could not help.”
The Sjurseths talked about what they could do on the ride home to Northern Virginia and came up with the idea of the ride.
During this year’s ride, Hightstown Engine Company No. 1 pulled out its apparatus in front of its firehouse on North Main Street, including its ladder truck onto its apron. East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 lined up directly across the street, and, together, the two companies raised their ladders to hang a huge American flag and, underneath, a second flag, the 911 Foundation Flag, which all the riders passed under.
”For the past few years, the company is privileged to be a part of such a wonderful ride,” said Chief Eric Coran of the East Windsor Volunteer Fire Company No. 2. “As always, the Hightstown Engine Company No. 1 coordinated the ride for Hightstown and East Windsor,”
The East Windsor company also set up its squirt truck along with the Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company’s tower truck on South Main Street at the Millstone bridge and hung a huge American flag over the road as the ride came through Hightstown on its way through to Cranbury, and all the riders passed underneath the flag.
”The flag was displayed so the riders would pass under,” said Chief Michael Kervan of the Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company in an email Monday.
The chief added, “I know a few firefighters who participated, and they tell me it’s one of their favorite parts of the trip — coming through Hightstown and under the flags. Some of our guys were actually up in the bucket as the riders passed under.”
The Robbinsville Township Fire Department also pulled out all of its apparatus in front of the station and hung an American flag from the apparatus.
”The staff stood at attention while the entire ride passed,” said Deputy Chief Daniel Schaffener of the Robbinsville Township Fire Department in an email Monday.
”We did participate during 9/11 with a group of our staff responding the day of the attack,” Deputy Chief Schaffener said. “We also had three department staff, who were part of New Jersey Task Force One team who were on location for an extended period of time assisting.”
He added, “It, of course, means a great deal to the department staff to see the continued support through groups such as the 9/11 ride as they continue to keep the events of that day in the forefront.”
For Chief Coran, the highlight of the ride is when all the riders were “waving, honking their horns.”
”It’s really a great feeling to see people come together for a wonderful ride,” Chief Coran said adding some of the riders said “thank you” as they rode through.
”I just want to thank everyone who participated, especially the local fire companies,” Chief Coran said.
The Kecskes family, of East Windsor, was ready for the riders with their full size American flag in front of the Tavern on the Lake parking on the sidewalk.
”This is our first year coming,” said Jennifer Kecskes, of East Windsor. “We found out about it through the Fire Department.”
She added, “The whole idea of it is cool. I didn’t know that they did this. I thought it would be something good for the kids to see.”
Their boys, Jonathan, 6, Justin, 8, and Joseph, 11, of East Windsor, were waiting for the riders to arrive.
”This is really cool,” Joseph said.
Later, after the Kecskes had a chance to experience the ride, they found it “moving.”
”I was very moved by the run,” Ms. Kecskes said. “I got a bit teary. The boys thought it was really awesome. They had never seen so many motorcycles before.”
Victoria Koegler, 10, of East Windsor, was sitting under a tree by the dam, holding an American flag that was handed out. She was “excited” for the riders to arrive.
”I can’t wait to see the bikers come,” Victoria said. “It’s really nice to honor the 9/11 victims.”
Friends Doreen Cier, of Cape May, Sharon Ward, of Robbinsville, and Loretta Holzeaur, of Hightstown, set up chairs on North Main Street outside of the Borough Hall building and waited for the ride to pass through.
”I’ve been coming since they first started,” Ms. Holzeaur said. “I think it needs a little more publicity, really, because people don’t really think about it.”
According to Ms. Holzeaur, it needs to be “brought” more to people’s attention.
”We had a lot more (people attending) the first ride,” Ms. Holzeaur added.
The highlight of the ride for Ms. Holzeaur is “seeing all the different states represented.”
”Everyone should see this,” Ms. Cier said. “They gave their lives. It’s worth giving our time to watch them.”
”Proud to be an American,” Ms. Ward said. “We shall never, ever forget 9/11.”
Mr. Sjurseth said, “The donations given to the foundation go to us supporting first responders nationwide, mainly through our college scholarship program. We give away $30,000 every year for scholarships since 2004.”
Mr. Flick said, “We provide college scholarships to active first responders’ children,” adding that the foundation has given out $240,000 in the last nine years — $2,000 scholarships, 15 a year.
”We are always looking for people to sponsor the foundation,” Mr. Flick said. “We live off the donations of the people. The ride that we do every year is our one and only fundraiser, and we look to our supporters to generate funds for the things that we do.”
According to Mr. Flick, the foundation also has donated more than $500,000 in money and in equipment to first responder organizations.
The foundation also has started a National Volunteer Emergency Team, which responds to disaster areas, according to Mr. Flick.
For more information on America’s 911 Foundation Inc., visit www.americas911ride.org.