RICHMOND, VA – A group of New York Firefighters from Engine 9 Ladder 6 are in Richmond Saturday night as part of their 18-day ride to Florida.
It’s day 4 of their 1,400 mile bike ride from to Ft. Pierce, Florida.
“I feel tight, I feel sore, but I feel happy that we have one less day toward our goal,” said Kieran Wilhelm, a firefighter and rider after biking 100 miles.
That goal is to get a 14 ft. steel beam that was recovered from the rubble of the World Trade Center from the Ground Zero Memorial to the Navy SEALs Memorial.
“It’s a very big deal to us,” said Wilhelm.
But more importantly, it’s a way to thank the Navy SEALs and military community for their sacrifices.
“It’s something much larger than just our fire house and our department. It’s for the whole entire country, especially after 9/11. The military stepped up and went overseas to protect our country,” said Wilhelm.
The group is also raising money for the museum’s Trident House–available for families of SEALs killed in line of duty.
“Families have a huge sacrifice as well when they go away or if they get hurt. It’s really tough on them, and they have a huge sacrifice for this country, so I hope this ride just makes people think that they need to give back to the military,” said Wilhelm.
So far, the group says they’ve gotten great support at the different cities along the way.
“It’s funny because even just riding on the road people are giving thumbs up. Actually we’ve come up to intersections and people are cheering for us with signs and stuff. i guess the word is getting out,” said Kevin McCormick, a firefighter and rider.
Follow the Trident Ride through their Facebook page or by clicking here.
