Cross-state bike ride remembers those lost on 9/11

Despite rainy weather, Seaford High School alumni Michele Myers received a warm welcome from the community after she biked nearly 500 miles in nine days.

The former Seafordite concluded her fifth annual “Ride to Remember” bike tour on Sunday at Seaford High School, where she was met with applause by residents, the Seaford Fire Department, local officials and members of the Seaford 9/11 Memorial Committee.

The tour honors those who lost their lives during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, including Seaford High School alumni Thomas and Timothy Haskell, John Perry, Robert Sliwak and Michael Wittenstein. Myers, who graduated Seaford in 1985, attended school with Timothy Haskel and Wittenstein.

“I’m overwhelmed with love and support from the Seaford community, especially from the families that lost a loved one on 9/11,” Myers told the Herald after she was greeted by the community.

This year, Myers, of Rochester, began her trek from the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Penn. on July 31, where United Flight 93 crash-landed nearly 20 years ago.

Myers wasn’t alone on her journey this year – she was accompanied by her friend Tracey Durst of Rochester. “She was a great companion. We pushed each other emotionally and physically,” Myers said.

The whole trip, she said, was “extremely emotional.” “I’ve been crying for the past couple of days. As I got closer to New York City and closer to home, it just got so emotional,” she said.

On Sunday morning, Myers departed Ground Zero and headed for Seaford. But she got caught in a downpour and she hitched a ride from her family members. She was driven to her brother’s home in Seaford, roughly a mile away Seaford High School. She had planned to stop by the Towers of Freedom 9/11 Military Monument at John J. Burns Park in Massapequa on Sunday, where community members would join her on the last leg to Seaford.

Though she missed about 22 miles due to inclement weather, Eileen Alber, Myers’ mother, said she still managed to hit all the areas that were impacted on Sept. 11, 2001, including the Flight 93 memorial, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, VA, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City. She also visited 16 firehouses along the way.

“That was her goal, and she did it,” Alber, of Riverhead, said. “I’m just so overwhelmed with pride for her.”

Myers’ ride, also dedicated to first-responders, served as a fundraiser for the Seaford 9/11 Patriot Award Committee, which presents the Patriot Award and scholarship to five Seaford High School graduates each year in honor of the Haskells, Perry, Sliwak and Wittenstein.

On Sunday, Myers presented the Seaford 9/11 Memorial Committee with a check for $2,055 collected through donations. However, community members can still donate to the GoFundMe fundraiser until the end of August.

“The Committee will pass that money onto the seniors who do community work, who get great marks, and so it reminds them of Sept. 11 and keeps it going,” Alber said.

Legislator Steve Rhoads called Myers’ efforts “amazing.”

“It’s people like Michele who ensure that we never forget,” Rhoads said. “She brings the much-needed funds to the community, but more importantly, she raises awareness.”

Hempstead Town Councilman Chris Carini, who was an New York Police Department officer on Sept. 11, 2001, said Myers’ ride serves as a reminder of the importance of the day.

“We lost five brave Seaford individuals that day. She holds with her the memory of them, and all the others that we’ve lost. It’s stories like this that keep the memories of what happened on Sept. 11 alive.”