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SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
MICHAEL HINMAN/STAFF PHOTOS
Dan Turner, the organizer of the 9/11 Gratitude Ride with Pasco County Choppers, presents a plaque to Pasco County Fire Rescue chief Scott Cassin, while Turner’s wife Cheryl looks on.
RIDE TO REMEMBER
Local roads between Wesley Chapel and Dade City welcomed hundreds of motorcycles on Sept. 6 as the 9/11 Gratitude Ride commenced, honoring the local heroes of Pasco County Fire Rescue.
Bikers honor first responders with annual Gratitude Ride Debbie Kloc, left, of Wesley Chapel, chats with Howie Taylor on his yellow Honda, before the two head out on the 9/11 Gratitude Ride on Sept. 6, to remember those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
By Michael Hinman mhinman@lakerlutznews.com
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ayne Mancarella knew it would be a long day on his motorcycle, beginning with a trip from his home in Largo to the Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club in Wesley Chapel. But there was nowhere else Mancarella wanted to be. He joined hundreds of other bikers for the 9/11 Gratitude Ride, raising money for the Pasco County Fire Rescue Benevolent Fund to make sure families of fallen first responders were well taken care of. “Sometimes we take both the cops and our firefighters for granted,” Mancarella said. “I’m glad there are people out there like them willing to do all the things we need them William Sivertsen, 14, of Boy Scout Troop 61 in Riverview, to do.There’s no one else like plays ‘Taps’ on his trumpet during a ceremony at the Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club on Sept. 6. them.” The 9/11 Gratitude Ride is now in its fifth year, settling in at its home at Sept. 11, 2001. Quail Hollow through the work of Land O’ “Make no mistake about it, this is a 9/11 Lakes Realtor Dan Turner.The Sept. 6 event event,”Turner told the crowd on Saturday. not only pooled together money to help “We call it the Gratitude Ride because we who Turner called local heroes, but to honor can’t go to New York, we can’t go to the men and women who died trying to res- Pennsylvania, we can’t go to Washington, to cue people during the terrorist attacks of express our gratitude to the emergency
Chuck and Diane Newman of Holiday fire up their Harley-Davidson as they get ready to head to their first Pasco County Fire Rescue station.
Wayne Mancarella of Largo sets up his GPS ahead of the 9/11 Gratitude Ride on Sept. 6.
workers there. So what better way to express our gratitude to the local men and women who protect us every single day.” The parade of motorcycles traveled more than 50 miles from Quail Hollow that morning to visit Pasco County Fire Rescue stations in Dade City and Zephyrhills.There, bikers met with firefighters and paramedics, learning more about what they do, and the dangers they face every day. “As the events of Sept. 11, 2001, unfolded, these men and women ran into those two buildings, they ran into the Pentagon, they ran out to the grass site in Pennsylvania,”Turner said.“It was all to do one thing — to save people like you and
Jon Cramer of Wesley Chapel goes over his checklist with Melissa Blakey of Lutz.
me.That is what they do.As we are running from danger, what are they doing? They are running into it.” After the visit to the fire stations, crowds returned to Quail Hollow for an afternoon event that included food, vendors, and live music from The Greg Billings Band. Final numbers from the recent event were not available, but past Gratitude Rides have raised more than $6,000 for the benevolent fund.
Daniel Digeon, a driver engineer with Pasco County Fire Rescue, explains one of the trucks at Station 36 in Dade City during a stop on the 9/11 Gratitude Ride on Sept. 6.
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