Thought this may interest some cyclists.
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FDNY HEROES DEPART ON THANK YOU AMERICA BIKE TOUR:
JOIN THEM ALONG THEIR ROUTE
Five New York City firefighters riding red, white and blue Cannondales
left from Ground Zero at the World Trade Center at 8:48 a.m. on Sunday,
November 11, exactly two months after the first plane struck the WTC. They
plan to ride across the country to thank Americans for the love and
support they extended to the New York Fire Department and the people of
New York in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. All five are from
Ladder Co. 9, Engine Co. 33 (stationed less than a mile from the WTC) in
the East Village of Manhattan, which lost 10 members in the collapse of
the twin towers, in which a total of 343 firefighters perished. Their
goals for the trip are to honor and keep alive the memory of the lost
rescue workers and civilian victims, to spread the word from a
firefighter's viewpoint of what happened that day, and to promote healing
throughout the country.

The firefighters, riding brand new special R700 Cannondales, with
stars-and-stripes red, white and blue graphics donated by the company, are
heading south towards the Pentagon, site of the second terrorist attack on
September 11, and will then traverse the southern U.S. to Los Angeles, the
original destination for one of the flights that crashed into the World
Trade Center towers. They are spending the nights in fire stations along
the way.

For firefighter Dan Rowan, organizer of the Thank You America bike tour,
the trip is a month-long chance for the riders to express their
appreciation for the outpouring of support that their stationhouse has
received from all across the U.S. "The response to our loss has been so
amazing," says Rowan, who cites numerous examples. The homeless man who
insisted upon donating all of his money, $1.22, to the station. The three
young girls who donated a coffee can full of change - the proceeds from an
impromptu lemonade stand. The $15,000 in cash from a fund-raising party
organized by a neighborhood bar, or the $10,000 that came from the Hell's
Angels chapter nearby.

"I was at a memorial service for one of our guys when I realized none of
the firefighters standing beside me were actually from New York. There
were literally hundreds of brothers standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me
from fire departments all across the country. All of these people have
done so much for us. They are the reason we need to go out and say
thanks," Rowan said.

Rowan also recounted the many cards and letters that arrived at the
station daily, and the tremendous support from other fire departments. "I
was at a memorial service for one of our guys," said Rowan, "when I
realized that none of the firefighters standing beside me were actually
from New York." With so many memorials, the city's fire department can
only afford so many men for each memorial service. "There were literally
hundreds of brothers standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me, and they were
from fire departments from all across the country. All of these people
have done so much for us," said Rowan. "They're the reason we need to go
out and say thanks."

The special R700 Cannondales, with stars-and-stripes red, white and blue
graphics, have been added to the company's 2002 line. Cannondale will
donate $50 from the sale of each stars-and-stripes R700 to the Uniformed
Firefighters Association Scholarship Fund. The fund helps pay college
tuition for firefighters' families, including the families of those who
died on Sep. 11. "Sponsoring this ride is really a privilege for us. These
guys, their stationhouse and the entire New York City Fire Department have
all given so much. It's very gratifying for us to help out on such a great
event," said Cannondale's Tom Armstrong. Cannondale is also providing the
firefighters with a full range of cycling apparel.

Ladder Co. 9 and Engine Co. 33 share a two-bay station in lower Manhattan.
Established in 1848, Engine Co. 33 has a total crew of 20 firefighters.
Ladder Co. 9 was formed in 1865 and has a crew of 23. They have shared the
stationhouse with Engine Co. 33 since 1948. Joining Rowan on the ride from
Ladder 9 will be Sal Princiotta, as well as Matt Hornung, Drew Robb, and
Gerard Dolan from Engine 33.
For more information, visit http://www.fdnythankyouamericatour.com/ and
http://www.cannondale.com/company/press/bikepress/110901.html.


We hope you enjoy BikeLeague News. Please forward this to fellow cyclists and
others who may be interested, but please be sure to credit the League of
American Bicyclists as the source for your information. To support or learn more
about the League, visit http://www.bikeleague.org.

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