Better late than never is what we thought when we received this article about a terrific charity ride to benefit first responders in remembrance of the national tragedy that happened on September 11, 2001. “Never Forget” was the motto adopted following the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and we’ll honor that sentiment here with this report about America’s 9/11 Ride from contributor Larry Goldstein.
On September 1, 2001, two commercial passenger jets were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City and another into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth plane crashed in an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attacked the terrorists to prevent them from reaching their intended target.
In November of that year, the first of what has become annual motorcycle rides was conducted to commemorate the tragic events and honor the first responders who lost their lives. The objectives for the first ride were to support NYC when few people were traveling there and to show the world that American life would continue as before, albeit with heavy hearts. Since 2003, the ride has been a vehicle to raise money for scholarships for first responders and their children.
The ride was conceived by motorcyclists Ted and Lisa Sjurseth, with participation by their daughters, Erica and Beth. Subsequent rides have been conducted by the America’s 9/11 Foundation, established in 2002 by Ted and Lisa and approved as a 501(c)(3) charity in 2003. Rides are always held on the third weekend in August to avoid conflicting with 9/11 memorial activities that occur on that date. Beginning in 2002, the rides included stops at the three memorial sites.
Thousands of riders have participated over the years, and there were more than 230 riders and passengers in 2024, with a ride that started near the Washington Monument and ended at Ground Zero. Each motorcyclist donated $200 (plus $40 if carrying a passenger) to support the foundation’s mission, and they were escorted by more than 70 motor officers and 14 support vehicles. The Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland State Police, and the Baltimore Police Department shut down roads for the ride, along with waiving tolls.
Taylor Beron is representative of the typical scholarship recipient. He is the son of a police officer and applied for the scholarship. Along with the application, he submitted an essay to honor his father’s shift sergeant. Taylor, who is from Iowa, is studying microbiology at the University of South Florida.
The 2024 event began on Thursday, August 15, with rides to Somerset, Pennsylvania, starting from various locations in Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. Many of these rides included a visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial on the way to Somerset. Others joined police-escorted rides that left periodically from Somerset hotels to visit the memorial.
Highland Harley-Davidson served as the host for the kickoff and opened early on Friday, August 16, to assist any riders with mechanical issues. America’s 9/11 Ride officially began that morning with a rider briefing by Eric Sjurseth, the current foundation president.
After a blessing was offered, the police escort and VIPs (i.e., those who raised the most money) exited the parking lot. They were followed by riders who were sent out in 20-bike groups led by a road captain.
Eric’s responsibilities didn’t end with the riders’ brief. He drives the support truck that goes into action when a bike breaks down or a rider experiences any other critical issue. Whether it’s a mechanical breakdown, flat tire, or health issue, no one is left on the side of the road. This was one of the best years ever with only two breakdowns and two medical issues.
The first destination for each year’s 9/11 Ride is the Flight 93 National Memorial, at which a rolling tribute takes place. After leaving the memorial, we proceeded to the first break location at Rocky Gap State Park in Flintstone, Maryland. This was a comfort break and set us up for a short run to Hagerstown, Maryland, where those needing gas benefited from the foundation’s pumper team of volunteers who expedited the gas stop.
Another group of foundation volunteers coordinates parking in Hagerstown and the next two days at Linden, New Jersey, and New York City, respectively. From there, it was less than a mile to where lunch was served. The foundation provides sandwiches, chips, drinks, and dessert for all ride participants.
This was my third year participating in the ride, and the emotions remain the same each time. Some of it comes naturally because of the memories triggered by the events we are commemorating, while others are stimulated by the people and things we see along the way. In nearly every town on the route – as well as on many overpasses – firetrucks, ambulances, and police vehicles are on the side of the road and their crews are saluting the riders and the flags being carried.
In some towns, ladders with oversized American flags are extended across the road. Hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians including families with children, parents, and grandparents come out to support the ride by waving U.S. flags and saluting the riders and flags as they pass. As one of my fellow riders said during a break, “It’s hard to steer a motorcycle when you’re crying your eyes out.”
The police escort makes a huge difference on this ride and was invaluable when we made our way toward Arlington after our lunch stop. It’s very enjoyable to safely cruise through intersections ignoring stop signs and red lights, and it’s even better to ride at speed on an interstate with no traffic to worry about, like when we headed into Washington on I-66 and continued on to our hotel near the Pentagon.
When you’re a participant of the ride, it’s hard to comprehend how much effort is required to orchestrate and coordinate the escorts. It’s generally easy to see the individual officers staffing specific locations either at intersections or the bottom of an interstate entrance ramp as you ride past. However, when the escorts leave a given location and return to the front, it’s just a blur because of the speed needed to get back to the front of the ride.
Sgt. Lee Gibson heads the Charlottesville, Virginia, Police Department’s Traffic Unit, which has participated as escorts almost from the beginning of the ride. He said two escort groups are established ahead of the main ride pack, and each member is intimately familiar with the route specifics. They communicate the location of the next assignment to the escort nearest the front. That rider moves out of formation and speeds ahead to the identified location to establish a position from which they can control traffic. The role of the second group is to relieve the escort from the first group as the ride pack gets closer. The process is the same as for the first group’s escorts and is repeated for the duration of the ride.
Sgt. Gibson also shared his motivation for participating in the ride. He does it because he embraces the idea of never forgetting the events of September 11 and to help ensure a safe ride for the participants. The ride also represents a training opportunity, and the motor officers exchange information about both escort techniques and equipment that can enhance the service they provide in their communities.
Once we arrived at the hotel near the Pentagon, some folks chose to visit the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to pay their respects. Others sought out liquid refreshments of varying strengths, while still others scoped out dinner options. One of the best things about a ride like this is the opportunity to meet people and make new friends from across the country.
Saturday morning, August 17, came quickly, as we began staging at 5 a.m. Many folks rode over, parked their bikes in line, and then visited one of the nearby coffee shops for breakfast. Others just took advantage of the opportunity to chat with friends while waiting for that morning’s ride briefing. I chose to walk over to the Pentagon Memorial for some reflection time, and because it was so early, I had the entire memorial site to myself. This is a fairly understated site, and maybe for that reason, it was the most emotional one for me.
After the briefing in Arlington, we did a rolling tribute through the Pentagon parking lot adjacent to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial before hitting the freeway that got us to I-95. The Maryland House Travel Plaza on I-95 was our first stop that morning, and we were treated with refreshments to supplement the options in the food court.
Unlike my two previous years on the ride when the weather was perfect the entire time, I needed rain gear that morning. I was glad I’d geared up and protected when the skies unloaded just before our arrival at Maryland House. During the comfort/gas break, the rain became even heavier.
Rain was a staple for the remainder of Saturday’s ride, which included stops at Barb’s Harley-Davidson in Mount Ephraim, New Jersey, and the Applebee’s in Linden, New Jersey. Veterans of the ride know not to fill up at Barb’s because Applebee’s provides options for lunch.
Linden is the site of Saturday’s main event, which includes presentations along with the drawing for a Harley-Davidson police motorcycle to be awarded to one of the departments/agencies providing ride escorts. This year’s drawing resulted in the Pittsburgh Police Department being selected, but they had won previously and graciously declined. A second draw saw the bike awarded to the Spotsylvania County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Department.
Additionally, a greeting was offered by Blaine Garrett, representing the Linden municipal government, and the Linden High School Junior Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps served as honor guard for the event.
A considerable amount of time was spent in Linden because of the need to coordinate the ride’s arrival in NYC after exiting the Holland Tunnel. This proved to be one of the smoothest arrivals in NYC in recent years. Traffic was controlled by the New York Port Authority, and it was smooth sailing all the way to the hotel in Times Square.
The ride wrapped up on Sunday, August 18, at a location adjacent to Ground Zero where a memorial ceremony took place. The national anthem was sung by Casey Sky Noon, and “Taps” was performed by Rich Wardlow, who both volunteered their services because of their commitment to Never Forget.
This year’s guest speaker was retired United States Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer, Pam Ayers. She described her experiences in the days following September 11, when the patrol boat she commanded was assigned to provide port security in the New York City Harbor. She explained the operation and shared that it was the most emotional duty assignment she experienced in more than 20 years on active duty with the Coast Guard.
Following Pam’s remarks, Eric officially closed the event. Following the memorial ceremony, many of the riders, especially those participating for the first time, took advantage of the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Ground Zero Museum.
Including the distance from my home in Virginia to Somerset and the return from Ground Zero, I logged a total of 850 miles, of which about half were police escorted. I met a fantastic group of people from all walks of life who share a common love of motorcycling and have embraced the motto, “Never Forget.” I especially enjoyed getting to know the Sjurseth family. This is one family that will NEVER FORGET.
The 2025 America’s 9/11 Ride will take place on August 14-17. You can register for the ride here.
Check out our Rallies and Events coverage on American Rider.
