Motorcycle Ride Sets Off From South San Francisco On Flight 93 Fundraiser
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – With a nod from Ken Nacke, a dozen motorcycles revved up outside Dudley Perkins Harley Davidson hours before the South San Francisco shop opened Monday, setting off on a journey ten years in the making.
Nacke organized the 2,700-mile cross country ride to fulfill a wish cut short when his brother Louis Joseph Nacke and 39 others perished aboard Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. The 42-year-old was headed to California on a 1-day business trip.
"All those things that crossed our minds about what we were going to do when we got our retirement," Nacke said, reminiscing about how he and his brothers planned to spend their time together once they were older.
Nacke and his fellow on the Ride With The 40 will see some of the places the two hoped to visit in retirement, along the way raising money to go towards construction of the Flight 93 Memorial.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
Two years ago Nacke led a group in the other direction from New Jersey to the Bay Area.
This time he has some relatively new riders, the on-site construction manager for the memorial, Bryan Ciccocioppo.
"It'll be a challenge," he said.
"Things in life aren't always easy and some of the best things are the hardest things to do."
The first leg of their 10-day ride to Shanksville, Pennsylvania includes a stop in Yosemite. Along the way they will see the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Football Hall of Fame and other places Nacke's brother hoped to visit once he stopped punching the clock.
Erich Bay's wife Lorraine was on duty when Flight 93 crashed. His lip curled as he mounted a brand new BMW R1200 R Classic and recounted the last time they saw each other.
"I went back, took a shower, and while I'm in the shower, she opened up the door at 5 o'clock, squeezed my cheek, kissed me good-bye. Tough moment."
She was supposed to be back the next day to celebrate his birthday.
"Long time after that, I found presents that she had bought for me, a few belts and two nice shirts," Bay said.
They will arrive in Pennsylvania a few days before the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
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