Cleveland Fire Fighters Plan Memorial Ride

February 21, 2006 –Cleveland, OH Local 93 motorcycle enthusiasts are revving up for the Second Annual Firefighters Memorial Ride scheduled for Sunday, May 28, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. at the Western Reserve Firehouse Museum. Proceeds benefit the Cleveland Fallen Fire Fighters Fund.

According to Sean DeCrane, secretary of Local 93, last year’s inaugural event raised more than $9,000 for the Cleveland Fallen Fire Fighters Fund, with some of the proceeds benefiting a local family injured in one of the deadliest house fires in the city’s history.

In 2005, more than 800 fire fighters from across Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan participated in the 50-mile ride, passing by 14 fire stations and finishing at Voinovich Park where a ceremony was held in memory of the 343 fire fighters lost on September 11, 2001, the 107 U.S. fire fighters who died in the line of duty in 2004 and the 56 Ohio soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice overseas.

The ceremony included a moment of silence for all fallen heroes, including the nine victims who died in the May 21, 2005 East 87th Street house after someone poured gasoline in the home and set it on fire. Two people survived, but neither knows who started the blaze or why. The murder-arson remains unsolved.

The registration fee for the Second Annual Firefighters Memorial Ride is $20 per person. For more information, visit www.firefightersmemorialride.com.