Annual 911 Memorial Trail ride features special bike access to Flight 93 National Memorial

The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance will hold the second annual 911 Trail Challenge on Sept. 12, starting at 9 a.m., with a 24-mile bicycle round trip from Berlin Brothersvalley High School to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville and back to Berlin.

The event benefits continued development of the National Memorial Trail, a 1,300-mile network of bicycle and pedestrian trails linking New York City’s September 11 Memorial, the Pentagon memorial in Arlington, Va., and the Flight 93 National Memorial.

“The event is geared toward people of all ages and ability to explore portions of Somerset County and Flight 93 National Memorial that would not normally be open via bicycle,” said Tom Baxter, president of the September 11th National Memorial Trail.

“Community support for this annual event is tremendous,” Baxter said.

Baxter encourages riders to set some extra time aside to visit the communities along the trail and experience a “tremendous National Memorial.”

Riders can register online. Sponsorships are available by contacting the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance at info@911Trail.org.

Proceeds from the event will be overseen by the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies in the 911 Trail Fund. The Fund was created to develop the September 11th National Memorial Trail. The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies is based in Johnstown and promotes philanthropy in the Pennsylvania counties of Bedford, Cambria, Indiana and Somerset, where the Flight 93 National Memorial is located.

The September 11th National Memorial Trail is a patchwork of previously developed trail segments and secondary, less-traveled roads in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

About half of the trail is off-road. The goal is to raise money to tap millions of dollars in grants in order to build other off-road sections.