Bicyclists ride 65-miles for the annual Ben to the Shore Bike Tour
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It was a great day for the 36th annual Ben to Shore Bike Tour.
Thousands of cyclists made the trek from Old City to Atlantic City to support the families of fallen and injured first responders on Sunday.
"He never did anything halfway. He actually believed he could do 110%," Mark DeMuynck, the father of a fallen firefighter, said.
Demuynck's son, Sean, was working as a firefighter in Lower Merion Township in July of 2021 when he was killed in the line of duty.
"My son was a hero, and I want to do something that might make him half as proud of me as I was of him," Mark DeMuynck said.
And with his son's face tattooed on his arm, on Sunday he got that chance.
The DeMuynck family was among the over 2,000 bike riders who took part in the Ben to the Shore Bike Tour. They rode the 65 miles from Philly to Atlantic City. The ride benefits the families of fallen and critically injured first responders
"Our police, our firefighters, they're going out and sometimes they make the ultimate sacrifice," Kenneth Lawrence, the Montgomery County Commissioner, said. "This is a way to help their families who are left behind."
In addition to the DeMuynck family, the families of fallen Pennsylvania State Troopers Martin Mack and Branden Sisca were also honored. They were killed in March of 2022 by an alleged drunk driver on I-95. Trooper Mack's widow, Stephanie, took part in the ride.
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"It's motivating in and of itself, it's just amazing. I'm excited to be part of it to give back and I'm riding with family," Stephanie Mack said. "That's really where I'm at right now."
The ride also raises funds to strengthen relations between police and the public. The goal was to raise $1.2 million.
"They're not showing up because they want to take a bike ride, they don't need this event to do it. They come out for its purpose," Anthony Boyle, the Chief Inspector of the Philadelphia Police Department, said.
