Law enforcement cyclists hold 9/11 Tour de Force in Daytona Beach
Law enforcement cyclists hold 9/11 Tour de Force in Daytona Beach
More than a hundred cyclists rode through Volusia County on Saturday to honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - More than a hundred cyclists rode through Volusia County on Saturday to honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001.
“We do this every year. We usually do it in New York and Washington,” said Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri, “with COVID this year - we have about 300 riders in our organization and about 50 support. With COVID we had to cancel, like everything else.”
Instead, they decided to make this year's memorial “Tour de Force” a local event.
Riders cycled a 51-mile route through New Smyrna Beach, Port Orange, South Daytona, Holly Hill, and Ormond Beach. The event paid tribute to the men and women who lost their lives during the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001 and fallen law enforcement.
“I said, you know what? Let's get the community involved,” Capri said. “Let's make this a fun event so we can interact with each other and see another side of law enforcement in a social setting. We're gonna raise money for victims of 9/11 and officers who were killed in the line of duty.”
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood joined Capri on the ride, along with many other members of the county's law enforcement community.
"This was only put together in a couple of weeks," Chitwood said. "For everything Daytona did to put this thing on is just spectacular.”
Looking back 19 years, Chitwood said as terrible as 9/11 was, it also brought Americans together.
“I don't think our country was ever as unified in single-minded purpose as it was during those times. I think we could use some of that to rub-off on us now.”
Organizers said they raised about $3,200 from the event. Proceeds will go the families of fallen police officers, state troopers, and sheriff's deputies.