By Lindsay Key
The Roanoke Times
Copyright 2007 The Roanoke Times
All Rights Reserved
ROANOKE, Va. — Five volunteers from the Giles, Blacksburg and Christiansburg rescue squads cycled into Roanoke on Friday night as participants in the national EMS Memorial Bike Ride. The annual 600-mile, six-day journey begins in New York and ends at the Hotel Roanoke.
Local cyclists rode in memory of two fellow emergency medical technicians who died this year. Nicole White, 20, was a Virginia Tech student who died in the April 16 shootings. She was a volunteer EMT in her hometown of Isle of Wight.
Craig Dorsey, 24, was a volunteer EMT and firefighter in Ghent, W.Va. He died in a gas explosion at the Little General Store in Ghent in January while responding to a gas leak.
Local participating cyclists were Eliza Ross of Blacksburg, James Thomas Lee of Giles, Steve Lepara of Blacksburg, Lynn Baluh of Christiansburg and David Simsik of Loudoun County, who serves on the Blacksburg Rescue Squad during holidays and special occasions.
They drove from East Coasters bike shop to New York City in an ambulance May 19 with four fellow volunteers who followed in support the entire way back. The cyclists left New York on May 20, along with more than 100 EMTs from 13 states.
In Natural Bridge, the crew was met by Blacksburg Deputy Town Manager Steve Ross, who cycled the remainder of the trip. Roanoke City Councilman Bev Fitzpatrick escorted the entourage in a police car from Troutville to the Hotel Roanoke, where Carilion Lifeguard 10 organized a helicopter flyover and the K92 radio station supplied an ice cream truck.
“The ride is organized chaos, much like EMS at times,” said Dave Gilbert, a ride organizer from Massachusetts. “The ride is actually for remembrance and honor of EMTs and paramedics that have died in the line of duty. Secondary to riding for our fallen brothers and sisters, it’s to bring awareness to the EMS service.”
Ross said the ride is important because it raises awareness for the organization that sponsors it.
“We’re almost an advertisement for the EMS memorial service, which is the service that honors the fallen each year,” Ross said.
The bike ride began in 2001 and went from Boston to Roanoke until 2003. There was no ride in 2004. The event returned in 2005 with New York as the starting point.