NAEMT will again be a sponsor of the EMS Memorial Bike Ride. The 2007 ride will take place from May 20 to May 26 and will feature two groups of riders who will converge on Roanoke, Virginia, in time for the EMS Memorial Service on May 26.
The first group, from Kentucky and surrounding states, will participate in the First Kentucky EMS Memorial Bike Ride. This group will ride 400 miles through the Appalachian Mountains from Somerset, Kentucky, to Roanoke, Virginia, following this route:
Sunday, May 20: Somerset, Kentucky, to Barbourville, Kentucky
Monday, May 21: Barbourville, Kentucky, to Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Tuesday, May 22-Thursday, May 24: This part of the ride will travel through Castlewood, Virginia; Bluefield, West Virginia; Pearisburg, Virginia; Christiansburg, Virginia; and Blacksburg, Virginia.
Friday, May 25: Riders plan to meet up with the group traveling from New York City on the outskirts of the City of Roanoke and proceed to the Hotel Roanoke together as one large group. Dinner will be as a group at a place to be named later.
Saturday, May 26: Riders will participate in the EMS Memorial Service
If you would like to ride with the group from Kentucky, visit www.kyemsride.com for more details. Registration is $100 until March 31, when it increases to $125. Registration fees cover insurance coverage, bicycling jerseys, administrative costs (such as this website, the bank account, postage of mailings, printing of brochures, etc), and various support items that serve the entire group.
The second group of riders will follow a 600-mile route through the northeastern part of the United States. The 2007 ride route is as follows:
Sunday, May 20: Queens, New York, to Hillsborough, New Jersey
Monday, May 21: Hillsborough, New Jersey, to Collingdale, Pennsylvania
Tuesday, May 22: Collingdale, Pennsylvania, to Emmitsburg, Maryland
Wednesday, May 23: Emmitsburg, Maryland, to Woodstock, Virginia
Thursday, May 24: Woodstock, Virginia, to Staunton, Virginia
Friday, May 25: Staunton, Virginia, to Roanoke, Virginia
Saturday, May 26: Riders will participate in National EMS Memorial Service in Roanoke
Riders who wish to ride with the New York group can register at www.emsbikeride.org. Registration is $200 and covers the cost of insurance, a golf shirt, bicycling jersey, support items and administrative costs.
The EMS Memorial Bike Ride was created by Boston EMT Jamie Orsino in 2001. The ride raises awareness of the National EMS Memorial and the National EMS Memorial Service, which honors those members of the EMS community who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Future plans call for the addition of other states as starting points for the ride. NAEMT is currently developing a National EMS Bike Ride Initiative. Watch for further information as it becomes available.