Bikers to raise money for 9/11 memorial

OFF THE WIRE
ACUSHNET — A Motorcycle Bike Run in support of the Acushnet 9/11 Memorial Fund will be held Sunday at the Ponderosa Sportsman's Club, 242 Robinson Road.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., the ride at noon. The cost per rider is $20; passengers ride free. Hamburgers and hot dogs will be served.

"It's supposed to be a sunny day. We are hoping for 200 to 300 bikers because this is our last organized event before we begin construction next week," said Kevin Gallagher, chief of the Acushnet Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services.

Gallagher said the centerpiece of the memorial is a 6-foot-long steel beam from the World Trade Center that will sit on a granite pentagon on the front lawn of the Russell Street Fire Station.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has given away beams and other steel artifacts that were once part of the World Trade Center's North and South towers. More than 1,500 requests were received and more than 1,000 have been honored.

Other area communities receiving beams include Westport and Somerset.

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