The National EMS Memorial Bike Ride honors Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel by organizing and implementing long distance cycling events that memorialize and celebrate the lives of those who serve every day, those who have become sick or injured while performing their duties, and those who have died in the line of duty. Their motto is Semper Memoria- We always remember.
Each year, the ride honors those EMS providers who died in the line of duty in the past year and works to provide support for their family members. Honorees are based on the list provided by the National EMS Memorial Welcome – National EMS Memorial Service (national-ems-memorial.org). This year’s list is especially long due to the number of EMS providers who died from COVID-19 infections that occurred through exposures while on duty.
This year, there are five regional rides across the country, in May, June and September. The East Coast route and Southern route rides were May 22-28. The East Coast route traveled from Boston, MA to Baltimore, MD. The Southern route started in Fayetteville, NC and ended in Williamsburg, VA. In June, the Midwest route will travel from St. Paul, MN to Chicago, IL. The West Coast and Colorado rides will take place in September, riding from Reno, NV to San Francisco, CA and Snowmass, CO to Littleton, CO, respectively. There will also be a Weekend of Honor ride on July 22d, in Crystal City, VA.
Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad has supported the Ride for over 10 years, providing riders, logistical support and serving in leadership positions for the effort. This year, the Sterling Rescue team participated in the Southern route, traveling the nearly 500 miles from Fayetteville, NC to Williamsburg, VA in 7 days. Along the way, riders visited several stations and communities that lost EMS providers in 2021. The riders wear dog tags with the names of EMS providers who have died. These tags are presented to the families of those who have lost a loved one.
The riders rode from 48 to 100 miles each day, stopping in cities in North Carolina and Virginia each night. The riders ride through most weather conditions to include the heat and rain, stopping only for thunderstorms. For 2022, Erik Hanna and Lynn Beard represented Sterling Rescue, providing Sterling Rescue’s 15 passenger van for logistics and ride support. Erik Hanna also rode in the event, tackling a demanding 100-mile ride from Williamston, NC to Elizabeth City, NC on May 25th. Kudos to Erik and Lynn for their support of this great event.
Sterling Rescue is proud to have supported this event in 2022 and looks forward to supporting this important effort in the future.
