On 600-mile trip, cyclists honor fallen first responders

The riders milled about early Thursday, dressed in multicolored biking jerseys with 20 names decorating their backs. For Orange County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Chuck Samek, one of the names was more than text on a T-shirt — Deputy First Class Norman Lewis was a colleague and a friend.

At about 8:30 a.m., about two dozen cyclists — Samek included — rolled out of Orlando Elks Lodge 1079 on the fifth day of a more than 600-mile trip from North Naples to Miami.

Founded after a deadly 2007 blaze, the Brotherhood Ride honors fallen first responders and their families through long-distance bicycle treks and financial support. Since its inception, the organization has cycled more than 7,700 miles and gifted over $379,000, according to its website.

“We’re not heroes,” said Jeff Morse, Brotherhood Ride’s president and founder and a fire captain in Naples. “It’s the guys on our backs that are the true heroes.”

This trip — the organization’s 13th — honors 20 individuals, 19 of whom were from Florida. On Wednesday, the group visited the families of Lewis and Orlando Police Department Lt. Debra Clayton, both killed during the January hunt for alleged murderer Markeith Loyd. Their ride also recognizes Clermont Fire Department Firefighter Joseph T. DeMarinis and Osceola County Fire Rescue Lt. Randall M. Donaldson, Jr.

“Most of us probably don’t train to the level that we should for what we do, but I think the mental aspect is tougher than the physical aspect of pedaling a bicycle. The emotional side of what we do is really the big thing,” said William Gorman, a Punta Gorda Police Department officer and Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office background investigator and recruiter.

Each rider is required to raise at least $500; the group cuts costs by staying at Elks Lodges that provide shelter and food along the route, Morse said. Local law enforcement and the Orlando Fire Department escorted the cyclists through the Orange County area.

For Samek, the ride is a way “to keep [Lewis’] memory alive.”

“Norm would definitely be proud,” he said.