By Drew Johnson, EMS1 Editor
If two things stand out about the 2011 National EMS Memorial Bike Ride, they are bad weather and amazing family support.
Even though it rained every day from the start of the ride in Boston on May 14 until the end on May 22 in Alexandria, Virginia, spirits ran high among the group of more than 85 riders who participated, said Jennifer Frenette, President of Muddy Angels, the organizer of the ride.
The memorial ride was created to honor those EMS workers who died in the line of duty during the previous year. Riders honor their fallen brothers and sisters by wearing dog tags engraved with the workers’ name and information, and by creating memorial posters that describe their life and work.
A smaller group of riders also completed a ride from Paintsville, Kentucky to Washington, DC, where they joined with the primary group of riders.
At the end of the ride, participants send their dog tags and poster to the family of the fallen worker they had ridden for. The ride culminated in a ceremony in Alexandria, where riders could personally hand the dog tags and posters over to family members who came to support them.
More family turned out for the final ceremony, as well as at various locations along the route, than ever have before in previous years, Frenette said.
“It has a huge sentimental and positive impact for them,” she added. “The families know their loved one’s not forgotten and that they have a bigger family.”