Hundreds Ride 343 Miles from Boston to Ground Zero in a Powerful Tribute to FDNY Heroes [WATCH]

Nearly 200 firefighters, first responders, family members of 9/11 victims, and members of the next generation of FDNY firefighters began a five-day, 343-mile bicycle ride from Boston to Ground Zero on Sunday, Sept. 6, as the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches, as reported by The New York Post.

The first-ever 9/11 First Responder Ride for Resilience to Ground Zero is designed to honor the FDNY firefighters and other first responders who died on Sept. 11, 2001, while also recognizing those who survived and continue to deal with illnesses, injuries, and the lasting mental-health effects associated with their work at the World Trade Center.

The ride is scheduled to conclude at Ground Zero on Thursday.

Ride for Resilience kicks off to honor FDNY 9/11 heroes https://t.co/VdlnTLyZVr

— Cindy Weidner (@cindy_weid36224) September 7, 2026

Among those participating is FDNY Manhattan Borough Commander John Corcoran, a 40-year veteran of the department who responded to the World Trade Center on 9/11.

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“Being a firefighter is the brotherhood, the togetherness. … It’s about taking care of our own,” Corcoran said.

“This ride is another way for us to stand together to make sure our brothers and sisters are never forgotten or left behind.”

Corcoran said the event reflects the close bond among firefighters and the willingness of first responders to answer calls regardless of the circumstances.

“Every one of us is part of something that’s bigger than ourselves,” he said. “When the alarm goes off in the firehouse, nobody asks, ‘What are we going to? What’s going on?’ They get on that fire truck, and they respond. It’s just an amazing, amazing group of people.”

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The ride was organized by Friends of Firefighters, a nonprofit established in the aftermath of 9/11 that provides free mental-health counseling to members of the FDNY. The organization partnered with Livestrong for the event.

It is the third cycling fundraiser organized by Friends of Firefighters. The organization’s first two cycling events were held in Ireland in partnership with Irish firefighters.

Nancy Carbone, founder and executive director of Friends of Firefighters, said the previous rides demonstrated the value of bringing firefighters together outside a traditional counseling setting.

“We were all surprised the first year how cathartic it was and how helpful it was. … It’s not a counseling trip, but they do share their experiences, good and bad, and it is really helpful for their mental health,” Carbone said.

The 343-mile route is named in recognition of the 343 FDNY firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 attacks.

The group includes surviving 9/11 first responders, relatives of those who died, firefighters from other departments and younger members of the FDNY who were not yet serving when the attacks occurred.

Dan Reeves of Engine 80 in Harlem, who joined the FDNY in 2022, described riding alongside firefighters who responded to the World Trade Center 25 years ago as “surreal.”

“These guys did the same thing that I do every day — they come into work, they have coffee, they talk with their friends. And then the [fire bell] go off, and you go somewhere.

“They went somewhere, and they never came back,” Reeves said of the FDNY members killed on 9/11.

Reeves said the five-day ride was a small sacrifice compared with what the firefighters who responded to the attacks and their families experienced.

“Riding bikes for five days isn’t too hard compared to what these guys went through and what their families are still going through. It’s nice to be able to sacrifice a little bit in their honor and to help the guys that are still struggling with 9/11-related illnesses.”

The fundraiser had collected $750,000 as of Sunday. The money is expected to be divided between local and national resources supporting firefighters.

Friends of Firefighters will use its share to support its free counseling program. The organization provided approximately 5,000 counseling sessions last year, more than twice the number from the previous year, and Carbone expects demand to continue increasing.

Livestrong will use the other half of the proceeds to create specialized cancer-navigation guidebooks for first responders.

According to Livestrong, firefighters and other first responders are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 14% more likely to die from cancer than the general population.

Suzanne Stone, president and CEO of Livestrong, said first responders facing cancer can have needs that differ from those of the general population.

“Their experience with cancer is not the same as ours. And not only do we recognize that now, we recognize they need specific resources that speak to how they work and how they live and their families that are also affected,” Stone said.

“Every New York fire and first responder deserves to have really dedicated, deep and robust resources that they can turn to when a cancer diagnosis happens to them or to somebody that works with them,” Stone said.

“These are the men and women who are so brave, and they show up for us every day, and now it’s time for us to show up to them.”

The ride comes as survivors and families prepare to mark 25 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The horror of the day is captured in this stunning raw footage. #Remember911 https://t.co/69T5LTSsRT pic.twitter.com/5NtfsDUAwn

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) September 11, 2016

For the participants, the journey from Boston to Ground Zero serves both as a memorial to those who never returned from the World Trade Center and as a fundraiser for first responders who continue to live with the consequences of that day.

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