In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance is hosting its third annual bike ride, the 9/11 Tour de Trail, on Sat., Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a 24-mile ride through the Laurel Highlands region of Pennsylvania, including a loop through the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville. Proceeds from the ride support the continued development of the 9/11 National Memorial Trail, a 1,300-mile biking, hiking and motor-friendly trail that connects the three 9/11 memorial sites via six states and the District of Columbia — Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. For those unable to attend the Tour de Trail event, the 9/11 National Memorial Trail invites you to walk, bike or hike 20 miles, 20 steps or with 20 friends in memory of those lives lost during 9/11. To register for the 9/11 Tour de Trail, go to https://www.911trail.org/tour-de-trail.html. The 1,300-mile 9/11 National Memorial Trail is currently connected by off-road and multi-use trails.

As the 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the alliance is also in the process of securing a federal designation for the 9/11 National Memorial Trail to ensure that future generations will have a trail that symbolizes resiliency and serves as a commemorative tribute to the fallen heroes of this country. Currently, 15 U.S. representatives have provided bipartisan support of this federal designation, with hopes to have the legislation signed into law by President Biden before Sept. 11, 2021. To support the federal designation initiative, individuals can go to https://www.911trail.org/support-the-designation.html.

The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance is a not-for-profit organization established in 2002 by its founder and president emeritus, Legionnaire David Brickley.

More than 50 percent of the 9/11 Trail is off-road, and the alliance has been partnering with federal, state, county and municipal officials on 14 projects to connect more than 30 trails.