WESTPORT — Thousands of motorcyclists, volunteers and supporters convened Sunday at Sherwood Island State Park for the 25th annual CT United Ride, Connecticut’s largest recurring commemoration of Sept. 11, 2001. Organized and sponsored by the Connecticut State Fire Fighters and the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut, the ride has grown from roughly 500 participants in 2001 to thousands this year.
From fundraiser to statewide tradition
The ride began in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks. On Sept. 30, 2001, Frederick Garrity Jr. and the Fairfield County Labor Council organized a motorcycle fundraiser for victims and relief organisations in New York. Proceeds from that first event went to the Police Officers Fund, the Fire Fighters Fund and the United Way. Organizers decided to continue the ride as an annual remembrance, and Garrity Jr. has remained involved since the beginning.
Over a quarter century, the CT United Ride evolved from a fundraising event into an enduring tribute that intentionally honors all 2,977 people killed on 9/11, the first responders who died that day and the public-safety personnel who still face danger in their work. After the inaugural year’s donations to New York relief efforts, subsequent proceeds have funded emergency relief for Connecticut police and firefighters and local United Ways.
Route, rituals and public participation
The ride departs Sherwood Island and travels under full police escort through a sequence of shoreline and inland communities. Along the route, local fire departments traditionally raise ladder trucks and suspend American flags above the roadway, creating a ceremonial corridor for passing riders.
- Start: Sherwood Island State Park, Westport
- Communities traversed: Norwalk, Westport, Wilton, Georgetown, Redding, Bethel, Newtown, Monroe, Trumbull, Fairfield
- Finish: Bridgeport
"For 25 years, the CT United Ride has brought thousands together in remembr
Organizers, first responders and family members gather before the ride for an opening ceremony. Many participants are motorcycle clubs, retired and active fire and police personnel, families of victims and riders who come to show solidarity. Local departments along the route coordinate closures and ladder truck displays, underscoring the substantial planning required to keep both riders and the public safe.
Scale, safety and community impact
This year’s quarter-century milestone highlighted the ride’s dual mission: remembrance and community support. The event draws sizable crowds that provide visible recognition to public-safety personnel and generate donations for local emergency relief funds and United Ways. The heavy police escort and coordinated fire department participation reflect a sustained partnership among municipal agencies, volunteer organizations and state firefighter unions.
For many Connecticut communities, the ride is a focal point of local 9/11 remembrance activities. The elevated flags created by ladder trucks are a frequent photo opportunity for families and a solemn gesture for onlookers. Municipal authorities typically provide traffic advisories in advance to minimize disruption and ensure a safe route for both riders and residents.
Why it endures
Organizers and longtime participants say the CT United Ride persists because it combines public tribute with practical support. While other memorials are stationary, the ride carries remembrance across multiple towns and presents an unmistakable public display of gratitude for first responders.
| Year | Notable development |
|---|---|
| 2001 | First ride; ~500 participants; funds sent to New York relief efforts |
| 2002–present | Annual tribute; proceeds support Connecticut emergency relief funds and local United Ways |
| 2026 | 25th anniversary; thousands participated; route ran from Westport to Bridgeport |
As the CT United Ride moves forward, its organizers say the two goals — to remember those lost and to aid those who serve — remain firmly linked. For residents along the route, the sight of ladder truck flags and a long procession of motorcycles is a stark, repeated reminder of the human cost of Sept. 11 and of the continuing public debt to first responders.
Local officials usually issue traffic advisories on the day of the ride; residents who rely on commuter routes that intersect the procession should expect temporary detours and intermittent delays. Those interested in participating or supporting the ride can contact the Connecticut State Fire Fighters or the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters Association of Connecticut for registration and donation information.
This year’s gathering reaffirmed the CT United Ride’s place in Connecticut’s calendar of remembrance, sustaining a civic ritual that has connected towns, families and public-safety professionals for 25 years.
