Piece of Trade Center Steel Coming to Hartwell Fire Station Saturday

A piece of the steel from the World Trade Center attack on 9/11 will be coming to Hartwell on Saturday.

It’s part of a fund raiser to help build handicapped accessable smart homes for soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The fundraiser is the idea of Cpl Todd Love, of Acworth, GA who lost both legs and one arm while serving in Afghanistan.

Love is one of the first to receive a smart home from the Gary Senese Foundation.

Now Love wants to pay it forward by raising money to pay for other smart homes.

According to Kay Wilbanks, the steel will be transported via a motorcycle convoy from Commerce to the Hartwell Fire station.

Wilbanks rides with the Georgia Patriot Guard Riders.

She said the goal is to get the steel piece back to Ground Zero in New York.

 “He decided that since he had so much support from the biker community, he decided he wanted to do something with the biker community,” Wilbanks said. “What he’s doing is going from fire house to fire house all the way to New York.”

This weekend’s leg will go from the fire house in Commerce at 1491 S. Elm St. to the fire house in Hartwell at 500 E. Howell St.

Wilbanks said the steel is on loan to Love from the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in New York, which was established by the family of a New York firefighter who died in a World Trade Center tower on 9/11.

Wilbanks said any biker who wants to join in the ride is welcome to do so.

 “Just show up in Commerce at the fire department and if you can’t ride and you want to drive your car, you are welcome to do that. Or if you just want to meet Todd, I highly encourage that. You will walk away a different person,” she said.

Bikers who wish may continue on the next leg of the ride or ride all the way up to New York.

The longest distance on any ride is roughly 70 miles, according to Wilbanks.

Cost per motorcycle is $25.

Wilbanks said people not riding but who want to show their support for the fund raiser are also encouraged to come to the Commerce or Hartwell fire stations.

 “We’re leaving Commerce at noon and taking the back roads to Hartwell,” she said. “Anybody who wants to just stand on the side of the road and wave a flag to show their support, we would love that. And anybody that just wants to come down to the Hartwell fire station to show their support, that would be fantastic.”

The bikers are expected to arrive in Hartwell around 1p.   Wilbanks said Love hopes to reach Ground Zero sometime in September.  For more information, contact Wilbanks at 706-498-1328.