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By Colin Mixson
Brooklyn Daily
Motorcyclists gave a two-wheeled salute to the firefighters and police officers who gave their lives in the line of duty at the Twin Towers.
The Bikers for America’s Bravest motorcycle run set off on Sunday from Floyd Bennett Field, with more than 400 bikers hailing from more than a dozen clubs cruising up the Belt Parkway and over the Brooklyn Bridge to observe a moment of silence for the victims of Sept. 11 at the World Trade Center site.
“The outpouring of love was just unbelievable,” said Danny Prince, a retired firefighter who participated in the run. “No matter how many times you’ve done it, I still get goosebumps.”
In addition to honoring the fallen, the motorcycle run raised funds to build a smart home for army veteran and Brooklyn hero Bryan Dilberian Jr., who was wounded in service and lost three limbs in surgery.
As the bikers swept up the Belt Parkway and onto the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, they passed fire engines parked along overpasses leading up to the Brooklyn Bridge, the stars and stripes flying proudly from their raised ladders.
“It was very moving,” said Warren Fuchs, a retired member of the FDNY who helped coordinate the motorcycle run.
On one of those overpasses sat Bryan Dilberian Jr., who looked down at the hundreds of bikers rallying in his honor.
“He just kept saying, ‘this is incredible.’ He’s really a great kid, an inspiration,” said Prince, who drove Dilberian to the event. “He’s a great man.”
Following the run, bikers from the Rolling Thunder, Red Knights, Axe Men, and more than a dozen other motorcycle clubs returned to Floyd Bennett Field for a car show and festivities.
The Bikers for America’s Bravest motorcycle run is the first of what organizers at the Stephen Sillers Towers to Towers and Gary Sinise foundations hope to become an annual fund-raising event to provide smart homes for disabled veterans.
Reach reporter Colin MIxson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.