9/11 Memorial Ride to take place at Sunset Park

By AL STOVER

Staff Reporter

Airway Heights residents should not worry if they soon see a large group of motorcyclists at Sunset Park.

The American Legion Riders Chapter 9 is holding its 9/11 Memorial Ride, open to motorcycles and cars, Saturday, Sept. 12, in honor of military veterans, police officers and firefighters. The ride will start at Sunset Park and end at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery, 21702 W. Espanola Road, in Medical Lake.

Mike Giese, of the American Legion Riders, explained that Inland Northwest Thunderbirds Car Club president Dan Garcia recommended Sunset Park as a place to host the event. The Chapter 9 riders are no strangers to Sunset Park as they have worked alongside the Thunderbirds Car Club during the Ford Open Car Show during the Airway Heights Festival.

Giese said the event begins at 11 a.m. with a flag presentation by the C cadets.

Spokane City Councilman Mike Fagan, a disabled American veteran who served as a criminal investigator and contracting officer in the Army, will be the emcee for the event. Airway Heights Police Chief Lee Bennett, a representative from the Fire Department and Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich will speak.

“The American Gold Star Mothers will be displaying banners for fallen veterans,” Giese said. “There will also be a free barbecue for anyone who comes and a raffle to help raise money for Veterans Court.”

Veterans Court is a hybrid drug and mental health court that uses the Drug Court model to serve veterans struggling with addiction, serious mental illness and co-occurring disorders, according to Spokane County’s website.

The actual ride will begin at 1:30 p.m. Motorcyclists will leave Sunset Park and ride along Highway 2 to the cemetery where the Fairchild Air Force Base honor guard will have a ceremony for fallen veterans. Development Services Director Derrick Braaten said the motorcyclists will ride in groups, rather than all of them going at the same time.

“It’s not going to be a mass of riders going down Highway 2 all at once,” Braaten said. “They’ll go in waves to minimize any traffic hazards.”

J.C. Kennedy, Parks, Recreation and Community Services director, said the city had not been informed of the event at first. After catching up with Giese and learning about the event, Kennedy’s department was “on board.”

“Events like this are things the city wants to support,” Kennedy said. “It sounds like it’s going to be a good event.”

Airway Heights City Council approved waving the special event fees for the riders. Kennedy added that there will be an extra dumpster and porta potties to accommodate the additional people attending the event.

Giese said the event is not about mourning veterans, police officers and firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty, but about paying respects.

“This event is mainly a get together to pay tribute to police, firefighters and veterans,” Giese said. “We want to thank them for what they are doing.”

Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.