Memorial Ride to honor fallen firefighters

15th annual Firefighters Memorial Ride set for May 26

On May 26, the ride will start at the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial in front of the Great Lakes Science Center.

On May 26, the 15th annual Firefighters Memorial Ride will take place starting at the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial in front of the Great Lakes Science Center.

John “KIKS” Kikol, president of the Firefighters Memorial Ride, indicated that the ceremony at 9:30 a.m. will honor and remember six Ohio fallen firefighters/ paramedics.

Monica Robins of WKYC will be the master of ceremonies and will open the ceremony with the singing of the national anthem, according to a news release. Speakers include Cleveland Fire Chief Angelo Calvillo.

An estimated 1,000 motorcycles are expected to stage their bikes on Alfred Lerner Way from 8 to 9:15 a.m. Additionally, the riders will award five $1,000 scholarships to students of firefighters/EMS in Northeast Ohio, including Kayleigh Fisher, Chagrin Falls/ Lyndhurst Fire attending Capital University; Ava Strahan, Perry/Euclid Fire attending The Ohio State University; and Bailey Brainard, Painesville/Concord Fire attending Bowling Green State University.

The 35-mile processional ride will begin at 10 a.m. from downtown Cleveland out to Avon Lake and then to Rock-N-Roll City Harley Davidson in Cleveland. The detailed route is available at www.firefghtersmemorialride.com.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony and support the processional ride along the route.

For more information go to www.firefightersmemorialride.com or contact Kikol at 440-263-8121.

During calendar year 2017, there were 93 Line of Duty deaths, and the majority were cardiac or similar health issues, according to the release. However, vehicle wrecks or roadway safety resulted in 23 Line of Duty deaths.