A Georgia firefighter is set to begin a cross-country bicycle tour to raises money for the families of nine Charleston, S.C., firefighters who died in a furniture store fire.
The deaths of the so-called Charleston Nine earlier this summer is the largest loss of life of firefighters in the US since 343 died in New York City on 9/11. That's why the cyclist, Laddie Williams of Augusta, chose to embark on his trip at this time of year.
Williams is set to begin riding from Los Angeles soon. He expects he'll arrive in Charleston in mid-October, spending the nights in fire stations along the way. Firefighters along the route will raise money for the families as he continues his bike ride.
According to his blog, “Ride for the Charleston 9,” he spent the night at a Palm Springs fire station after driving four days from Augusta. He'll update his progress at the blog as he heads east on the 2,600-some mile journey accompanied by a car.
While driving through Oklahoma, Williams wrote that he received word from his wife that she was pregnant. He continued:
“This gives the ride a whole new meaning. I am so inspired and so honored to be doing this for the families of these guys that are'nt here to do it themselves. I Hope that somehow this ride that was born in the kitchen of a fire house in Georgia can show that the kids of these men have a very large extended family that won't forget the sacrifice that their fathers made on June 18th.”
The third generation firefighter is an accomplished cyclist. He won a cyclo-cross state championship and is a member of Augusta Cross Coalition/La Dolce Vita/Giro cycling team.
The nine lost their lives when the roof of a sofa-making company collapsed while they were inside fighting a fire. Randy Duteau writes in Metro Spirit:
“Laddie’s means of channeling his personal grief, and a way to comfort the families of the nine, manifested itself in this ride.”
To find out more about the Charleston 9 and how to donate, check out the Ride for Chaleston 9 website. Williams plans to update his journey at Ride for Charleston 9 blog.
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