Ride to Remember Sign-up Party Slated for Feb. 2 at White Lion Brewing
SPRINGFIELD — Registration for the region’s largest cycling event will officially kick off on Sunday, Feb. 2. Organizers of the Ride to Remember XIV will hold a launch party at White Lion Brewing in Springfield from 2 to 5 p.m., featuring food, drinks, and live music. The event is open to all supporters, friends, and families.
Attendees who sign up for the ride that day can do so for $100, representing a 50% discount from the normal registration fee.
Ride to Remember XIV will take place on Saturday, Sept. 6. This year’s route will be a 70-mile trek from Springfield to Hartford and back. All riders are welcome to participate in this safe, inspiring event, featuring multiple rest stops, nourishment, and an abundance of encouragement along the way. Cyclists will be escorted by a police motorcade for the entire route, stopping traffic at every intersection to ensure the safety of every rider.
Founded in 2012, the Ride to Remember is an annual cycling event to commemorate fallen first responders. Led by retired Springfield Police Sgt. John Delaney and a team of volunteers, the event began as a tribute to fallen Springfield Police Officer Kevin Ambrose, who was killed in the line of duty. To honor his memory and pay respect to his loved ones, 180 cyclists made the initial 100-mile trek from Springfield to Boston.
Since then, the ride has grown to nearly 500 riders and honors all first responders, including police, firefighters, corrections officers, and ambulance workers. Over the years, the ride’s route has included treks to Boston, Worcester, and Hartford, as well as regional rides around Western Mass.
The mission of the ride is to honor fallen first responders by raising funds to support their families and community organizations that work to make the region’s neighborhoods safer and healthier for the families who live here.
Proceeds from the ride have supported Christina’s House, On-Site Academy, Square One, multiple police and firefighter memorials, several neighborhood playgrounds and soccer fields, and other community-based initiatives.