Join the Ride for Your Life 2023 on November 19th

Dear friends, 

Last year, on November 20th, we took what may have been the coldest and most important bike ride of the year—the Ride for Your Life, in honor of Sarah Langenkamp, who had been killed in Bethesda just a few months before. We rode to Congress on that particular day in observance of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. 

Many people have asked about whether we will be doing this event again, and the answer is YES!

This year, instead of tracing Sarah’s route and heading to Congress, we will focus on raising public awareness of the many traffic victims in the DC metro area by undertaking a cycling tour past several of the crash sites that have broken our hearts in recent years. They will include those for Enzo Alvarenga, a 19-year-old student at the University of Maryland; Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, 42-year-old mother and U.S. diplomat; Nijad Huseynov, a 24-year-old graduate student from Azerbaijan; and Allie Hart, a five-year old killed on her bike in a crosswalk.

Our objective in this ride is simple: We want as many people as possible to join us to show the city and the region that these loved ones will not be forgotten and that their deaths will never be acceptable. The more people we have, the more our elected leaders and our news agencies will feel compelled to cover these events—so please join us!

REGISTER TO RIDE

Of course, we don’t know what the weather will be like, but we don’t care (and we hope you don’t either!). Some causes are simply too important. As part of this event, DC and Montgomery County Families for Safe Streets will be putting new signage on crash sites all over the metro area. 

This increased visibility will be an important aspect of our effort, which will help the public understand that it was loved ones that we lost at these sites, and our leaders must implement changes so more innocent people don’t die on our roads.

Please join us for what may be your last, coldest, and most important bike ride of the year. 

If you would like to volunteer to help with this event as bike marshall or in another capacity, please contact Dan Langenkamp at daniellangenkamp@gmail.com with the subject line VOLUNTEER.

Thank you!

Dan Langenkamp

Ride Details: Depart from Cheshire Drive and Old Georgetown Road (where Enzo was killed) at 10 am, November 19. (Please arrive by 9:30. Parking is available at the Wildwood Shopping Center or nearby). The ride will continue to 5244 River Road, Bethesda, (where Sarah was killed) at 10:30-10:45 (limited parking is available at the Kenwood Station shopping center, continue on to Connecticut Avenue and L Street, NW, where Nijad Huseynov was killed on his bike in late October, around 11:30am, and end at Allie’s crash site on 1400 Irving St, NE, (14th and Irving NE) Washington DC, at approximately 12pm. You can find the ride route by clicking the link here.

We will conclude with a short rally at 1400 Irving St, NE, as soon as we arrive. The public is encouraged to join for any part of the ride or meet us at the end.  

As you may know, funding for the cause of street safety remains critical for the organizations fighting this fight all year long. Please consider a donation to either the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp GoFundMe, or the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.