Globe Staff Writer
PITTSBURG, Kan. —
A bike ride on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 will honor a former Joplin cyclist killed in Afghanistan as well as raise money to buy bikes for children of U.S. soldiers.
The event is part of a larger ceremony and weapons display that will take place Saturday morning at the Pittsburg State University Veteran’s Memorial, 1090 S. Rouse Ave.
All money generated from the ride, slated as a 16-mile and 28-mile loop to and from the Veteran’s Memorial, is to be donated to the Phil Svitak Memorial Fund, said Roger Lomshek, a veteran and the owner of Tailwind Cyclists, Pittsburg, which is heading up the event.
Lomshek said Sgt. Svitak, who lived in Joplin, Mo., was an avid mountain biker who served in the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment, in Afghanistan. In March 2002, he was killed in the mountains during a firefight with al-Qaida.
“Those who prefer to stay off the bike may instead register for a 5K run and a 2-mile walk to be held that morning,” said Lomshek. “Proceeds (from those two events) will go to the local Army Reserve Family Readiness group, which helps families at home cope with their loved ones’ deployment.”
Registration for the bike ride is $10 per person; registration for the 5K run and 2-mile walk is $15 per person and includes a T-shirt. Participants may register in advance by contacting Roger Lomshek at Tailwind Cyclists at 620-231-2212 or they may sign up for any of the events on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
