Marking the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
By Joanne Michielsen
Town of Chili Deputy Supervisor Michael Slattery will soon embark on a five-day, 343-mile bicycle ride from Boston to the World Trade Center Memorial in New York City to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The First Responder Ride for Resilience, scheduled for September 6-10, honors the 343 firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, while raising funds to support first responders who continue to face cancer, trauma, and mental health challenges – an occupational reality firefighters carry across their careers, made visible on the largest scale by 9/11. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters are 9% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 14% more likely to die from it than the general public.
“Coming from a long line of family members of police officers and firefighters, this is personal to me,” said Slattery.
His connection to public service runs deep. Michael’s great-grandfather, Jack Slattery, served as Rochester Fire Chief; his grandfather, Raymond Slattery, was a sergeant with the Rochester Police Department and died from cancer; his father, Ray, was an RPD Officer; and his daughter is a Monroe County Deputy Sheriff on road patrol.
Approximately 200 cyclists are expected to participate in the memorial ride from all over the world.
“This will be an emotional ride, dealing with survivors, firemen, and other people that experienced and remember the tragic events that took place that day,” Slattery said in a video message filmed at the Chili Fire Department’s 9/11 memorial, which includes two steel beams from the Twin Towers. The video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5rFSvWxWBU.
Another unique aspect of this ride is the elevation riders will have to climb. “It’s about 18,000 feet of going up. For a five-day ride, that is a lot,” he noted.
Slattery set a personal fundraising goal of $8,500 and has already exceeded that milestone. Those who wish to contribute may do so at https://impact.livestrong.org/fundraisers/michaelslattery.
“You’re not only supporting a bicycle ride,” Slattery said. “You’re supporting the healing of these courageous first responders that sacrificed so much on that day.”
Slattery is no stranger to long-distance cycling challenges. Over the past several years, he has participated in multiple endurance rides. In 2023, he completed his own Michael’s Charity Ride, a 21-day, 1,233-mile journey from Rochester to Florida that raised funds for three organizations close to his heart: the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the Pirate Toy Fund, and Honor Flight Rochester.
Through his participation in the First Responder Ride for Resilience, Slattery hopes to honor the sacrifices made on 9/11 while helping provide ongoing support for the first responders still coping with its lasting impact.
Locally, there will be 9/11 events at various fire departments that the public may attend to show appreciation and support for their commitment to the community.
