HARRISBURG, Pa. — As communities across the U.S. remember the anniversary of 9/11, Harrisburg-area bicyclists saddled up to honor those who lost their lives that day.
“We have to remember," said Tim Hoehn. "We have to remember and teach the youngsters what happened.”
The Harrisburg Bicycle Club rode throughout the city on Wednesday to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The ride was an emotional one for many, such as Tim Hoehn from Carlisle. He said he was on a bike ride with a friend in Arlington, Virginia when hijackers crashed a plane into the Pentagon.
“We got to the river and people were parking their cars and walking across the bridges into Virginia to get out of DC," recalled Hoehn. "We eventually went up to the Pentagon and saw the damage, and there were just incredible emotions.”
Twenty-two riders with the Harrisburg Bicycle Club saddled up for their ride at Fort Hunter in Susquehanna Township. The group rode to monuments throughout the city, including the Firefighters Memorial along Front Street.
Their ride ended at the 9/11 memorial at HACC, where they planted flags under a steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center.
“When you stop and take a pause here, it’s very easy to go back to that, without missing a heartbeat, and seeing yourself right there where it happened," said Diane Dankman-Riley, who organized the ride for the Harrisburg Bicycle Club.
Riders say they hope to continue the event every year to teach young people about what happened and keep the memory alive of those who lost their lives that day.
“We have 160 million Americans that were born after 9/11," said Hoehn. "We have to remind people what happened, so they don’t let those things happen again.”