This year's National EMS Memorial Bike Ride event occurred over four days and included more than 100 men and women from 24 states and Ireland.

The goal was to ride to the National EMS Memorial in Roanoke, Virginia, to raise money for the families of EMS workers and paramedics killed in the line of duty and to demonstrate the need to provide death benefits to paramedics' families.

But the trip, which stretched more than 600 miles from New York to Roanoke, took a turn for the worse after the group stopped for the night in Annapolis, Maryland.  In the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 19, while the group was resting at a hotel, their support vehicles were broken into.

Thousands of dollars of navigation equipment, including GPS systems and cell phones, were stolen from vehicles, as well as a volunteer Blacksburg emergency vehicle.

Despite the discouraging set-back, the participants went forward with their plan for the day to visit the Capitol at Upper Senate Park to honor their fallen comrades.  The event was coordinated by the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride and Advocates for EMS.

A number of Members of Congress and staffers attended the event in Upper Senate Park.
Royal Auto Glass in Annapolis repaired the vehicles' broken windows for free.

All of the major media outlets, including the local NBC, ABC and CBS stations and the Washington Post covered the story. 

“We are very proud of those who are participating in the event and thank them for the sacrifices they have made to participate in the ride and promote the expansion of the Public Safety Officer Benefit Program.” Said Advocates for EMS representative, Lisa Meyer.

The National EMS Memorial Bicycle Ride is a non-profit organization that started in Boston in 2002.