Twenty-two cyclists and two support drivers are now rolling east from the Bay Area on a 40-day memorial journey connecting San Francisco's fire service with departments and communities across the country. The Bay to Brooklyn ride is timed to the 25th anniversary of September 11 and is headed for Ground Zero and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The team made a community send-off today at Pier 22½ on the Embarcadero near Harrison Street after beginning in Santa Clara. San Francisco Fire Department Chief Dean Crispen joined the send-off, while SFFD sent two members to take part, according to a San Francisco Fire Department video.
Forty Days, Thousands Of Miles, One Memorial Destination
The ride's official route lays out more than 3,600 miles between Santa Clara and Brooklyn, with riders crossing a dozen states before the final stretch into New York. The schedule calls for the group to reach Ground Zero on September 10 and finish at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, according to the Bay to Brooklyn route page.
This is the third Bay to Brooklyn tribute, following rides organized for the 10th and 20th anniversaries of the attacks. The Bay to Brooklyn organizers say the ride is intended to keep the memory of the fallen alive while bringing the team into contact with local firefighters and residents along the way.
SFFD Is Sending Two Riders East
The ride roster includes San Francisco firefighters Julian Villavicencio and Tim Moyer. Villavicencio is listed as a Station 1 member and the youngest rider, while Moyer serves at House 5, according to the team's ride roster.
The 343 Names At The Center Of The Ride
The memorial honors the 343 FDNY members killed while responding to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The New York City Fire Department has said more than 400 members have also died from World Trade Center-related illnesses since the attacks.
For the cyclists leaving the Embarcadero, the first miles through California are only the opening leg of a route that will stretch into September. Their target is a New York arrival just before the anniversary itself, carrying a Bay Area memorial into the city where the story began.
