More than 2 dozen custom and classic cars, trucks and emergency vehicles roared south on Route 51 out of Forsyth Sunday afternoon on a mission; to honor current First Responders and Healthcare Workers and remember those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001. The drivers were all taking part in the Annual “Cruise 11 to Remember 9-11”. While normally a car show in Central Park, followed by a cruise this year’s event was a classic caravan of vehicles that rolled past Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur Fire Station 1, the Macon County Sheriff’s Department, the Decatur Police Department, St. Mary’s Hospital, and concluded with a special drive-by of the home of World War II Veteran and former Decatur Firefighter Bob Corey
Cruise 11 was created in memory of Pvt John Gifford. Gifford worked at ADM when 9-11 took place and later quit his job and joined the Marines. He was the first Illinois casualty in Operation Iraqi Freedom, when he was killed in action on March 23, 2003 at age 30.
Each year, Cruise 11 serves as a fundraiser to collect donations for a veteran cause. Past years have supported the WWII Memorial Fund, Operation Enduring Support, Christmas Stockings for the troops, and monies have provided gift cards and essentials for many Veterans. There is no entry fee-however- any donations given will go to a new MacArthur High School scholarship fund set up to honor MHS graduate Doug Hagen—a Vietnam Veteran that was KIA and posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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